Obituary of Allen K. Shenk, Jr.
Allen K. Shenk, Jr. passed away peacefully at home on December 31, 2025 at the age of 86. He was a kind and caring man who always considered the needs of others before his own.
Allen was born October 25, 1939 in Pittsburgh, son of the late Allen Kirkpatrick Shenk, Sr. and Mary Lane Shenk. An only child, he grew up in Erie, Pa. near his cousins John and Wilbur Shenk, who were close in age, and have remained great companions throughout his life. He also was mentored by his older cousins Virgina Jane ("Jinks") Shenk Mock and Susan Riehl (both now deceased), Nancy Lane Forster Nelson, as well as Cynthia Ramsey, who recently celebrated her 103rd birthday.
Allen followed in the footsteps of his father and uncle, graduating from both the Lawrenceville School (Class of 1958) and Princeton University (Class of 1962). He later received his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He remained a loyal alumnus to all; and kept in touch with many school friends even dating back to his early years at the Erie Day School.
After completing his studies at Princeton, Allen went on to Officer Candidate School for the U.S. Navy. He spent two years on an old, World War Il destroyer based in Norfolk, serving as a Navigator and a Liaison Officer. His final year, he worked with Underwater Demolition and SEAL teams nearby in Virginia.
Allen started his career with the Dupont Company based in Wilmington, Delaware. There he worked for 3 years with chemists and engineers on introduction of a textile fibers product in the Tyvek family. Following the receipt of his MBA in finance, he moved to New York City to work for Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York and Manufacturers Hanover Bank.
It was there that he had the good fortune to meet the love of his life, Ann Wilder. They were married on October 18, 1975 and recently celebrated 50 years of marriage. They moved to Connecticut over 40 years ago when Allen took a job as an institutional investor at the Travelers. He retired from the company (by then Citigroup} in 1994.
He was a devoted member of the First Church of Christ Congregational in Glastonburv. He loved singing and was a dedicated member of the baritone section of the choir for 40 years. Early retirement gave him time to volunteer. He served as co-chairman of the Organ Committee when it was decided that the old organ needed to be replaced. After diligent research and field trips, the committee recommended purchasing a new Schoenstein organ, the first on the East Coast. Allen was the Curator (steward) of this Schoenstein for 21 years - from its installation in 2003 until 2024.
He and Ann loved the outdoors and spent many happy days biking, skiing, and hiking. Allen was an intrepid cyclist, completing several Memorial Day rides up Mount Greylock in Massachusetts; and participating in the “Hotter ‘N Hell Hundred” bike race in Wichita Falls, Texas. His adventurous spirit took him and Ann to Europe for travel including cycling, cultural and choir tours, and cruises.
Because of their shared love of music, Allen and Ann have been frequent concert-goers. They have been long-time supporters of the Hartford Symphony, Goodspeed Opera House, and the First Church Music at the Meetinghouse concert series.
Allen was predeceased by his parents, his wife’s parents Wilford D. and Dorothy L. Wilder, his brothers-in-law John S. (Sandy) Wilder and Douglas R. (Cindy) Wilder and cousins Susan V. Forster and Charles C. Shenk. He is survived by his devoted wife Ann, sister-in-law Catherine, sister-in-law Sandy, cousins Cynthia Ramsey, Wilbur (Meredith) Shenk and John (Kay) Shenk, as well as many additional cousins, nieces and nephews who are descendants of the Shenk and Wilder families.
The family extends sincere thanks and appreciation to Allen’s aide, Sally, who always knew exactly when and how to assist Allen. Her presence until his last day was so very reassuring.
Allen will always be remembered as a loyal husband, cousin, in-law, uncle, friend, and church member. He had a natural interest in people and made each person feel important and seen. His sincerity, welcoming smile and engaging personality led him to converse wholeheartedly with people from all walks of life. We will miss him deeply.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Allen’s memory to the charity of your choice or to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center using the website giving.mskcc.org or by sending a check along with acknowledgment information to P.O. Box 5028, Hagerstown, MD 21741.
A service in memory of Allen will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 24, 2026 at First Church of Christ, Congregational. 2183 Main Street, Glastonbury.
For online condolences, please visit www.mulryanfh.com.