Post Mills, VT – James F. Allen, Jr., 87, died Monday, July 8, 2024, at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH.

He was born on March 17, 1937, in Hollywood, CA to James Folger Allen and Mary Lena Jewel (Krueger) Allen. James' family moved throughout California with his father's career as he was growing up. He graduated from George Washington High School in San Francisco, CA in 1955. Following high school, he attended Whittier College where he received his bachelor's degree. This is also where he met and fell in love with his lovely bride Susan McQuilkin. They were married June 29, 1962, in Whittier, CA. He enlisted in the US Army in 1961, serving in Army Intelligence in Berlin. After receiving his honorable discharge from the Army in 1963, he worked briefly in California as a claims adjuster before accepting employment at the National Security Agency in 1964. He was stationed in Munich and Berlin, Germany as a voice intercept linguist. While in Berlin, he earned his master's degree in international relations from Boston University. James selflessly devoted most of his life to his career with the NSA, traveling around the world, including several years in England.

In 1969, James and Susan returned to the US and settled in Maryland to raise their family, interspersed with a three-year posting in England from 1976-1979. They lived in Columbia, and later Sharpsburg, until their move to Hagerstown in 2017 where they have lived since. In 1993, they built a summer home on Lake Fairlee in Post Mills where they spent many years making memories with their family.

Coming to soccer late in life, Jim became a referee in Columbia and enriched his skills during his years in England. He became a National Referee Instructor and National Referee Assessor. He was also selected in 2004 as a recipient of the Eddie Pearson award, the highest honor a referee can win. In other soccer jobs, Jim was the Director of Officials of the American Soccer League, the American Professional Soccer League, and the first Director of Officials of Major League Soccer.

James enjoyed sheepdog trialing with his border collies, dedicating innumerable hours to training his dogs. He was a proficient word puzzler, completing the New York Times crossword puzzle in pen every Sunday. He was also an avid reader and never had just one book to enjoy, you could regularly find him in the middle of multiple books and loved to discuss any topic you threw his way.

James is survived by his wife, Susan Allen of Hagerstown, MD; son, James F. Allen, III of Raleigh, NC; daughter, Barbara L. Balinger of Jefferson, MD; grandsons, James F. Allen IV, Justin Allen, Thomas Balinger, and Daniel Balinger; five great grandchildren; brother, Thomas G. Allen and wife, Carole and nieces, Kate Grant and Betsy Gunia of Slinger, WI.

Services will be handled privately by the family.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Glen Highland Farm for border collie rescue at glenhighlandfarm.com/donation or by mail at 6699 Fox Centre Pkwy, #434, Gloucester, VA 23061.