Allen Glesser

At Squeeze The Hive, 2014

Allen Marc Glesser
02 Nov 1949 - 25 May 2024

Life is as it is!

Clubs & Associations

Biography

Allen was on the Board of Directors of CPSD [Committee to Promote Square Dancers]. Treasurer of Santa Clara Valley Square Dance Association, President of Jokers..which formed the Rockin Jokers of which he was Charter Member President, He was Charter Member VP of WildCads, and member of PACE, Outlaws, Interlocked Squares, Top Cats,and Lifetime member of Gold Squares and El Camino Reelers and attended callers school and was active member of GCA.^[1]

GCA Caller School

attended 2013, 2014

Obituary

Allen was born in Oakland in 1949, son of Abraham and Hannah Glesser, and younger brother to Janice and Linda. As a youngster he showed great interest in music and electronics, building his own radio with money he earned as a paperboy. He started playing the trumpet in grade school at Lake View Elementary. At 16, Allen graduated from Oakland Tech High School and toured California with the Youth of America Musical Group.

In 1971, Allen graduated from San Francisco State with a BA in Broadcasting and Electronic Communication Arts. During his college years he worked in the student radio station and, after graduating, he went to work for radio personality Doug Pledger as writer and producer of the marketing and commercial advertising segments. From there, he became the Broadcasting Chief Engineering consultant for Metromedia & KNEW Radio. Later, he was the Chief Engineer at KOFY Radio.

After moving to Sunnyvale, in 1979, became a father for the first time. His son Adam gained a brother, Darrin, the following year. In 1989, after having met in a personal growth Life Training course, Allen married the love of his life, Carol, and became stepfather to two children, Jason and Kimberly. Despite always having projects and work o keep him busy, Allen put his children first. This extended to his six grandchildren: Max, Alex, Harleigh, Jonathan, Tyler, and Jacob, as well as his nephew and nieces: David, Michelle, Jordana, and Tami.

Allen was a lifelong learner with an insatiable curiosity. His interests were vast and varied, reflecting a spirit that was never content unless he was exploring new horizons. His love for learning and discovering the world around him was a defining part of who he was, leaving a legacy of wonder and knowledge for those who knew him. In addition to his trumpet playing (which, before the pandemic, included a role with the Cupertino Symphonic Band & Orchestra), Allen was a licensed ham radio operator, an accomplished woodworker, a member of the Brotherhood of Magicians, a licensed hypnotist, an airplane pilot (even owning a Bellanca Super Viking airplane), and a gadget aficionado. Many of his later hobbies also involved Carol. In 2000, they began square dancing, joining several local clubs and even helping to start another (the Wildcards). Enamored with the puzzle-solving side of dancing, they progressed to an elite level (top 5%), and Allen even successfully called several local dances after going to Caller School. Allen and Carol also enjoyed camping with the Rocker RV Camping Club, going so far as to purchase their own RV. They made many wonderful friends and memories on these outings.

Consistent with his love for learning, Allen spent most of his life as an entrepreneur. He co-founded several businesses including Alcom Art & Press, C & A Graphics, Care IT, Praemio Technologies, Westwind Software, Execusoft Training Solutions, and a private hypnotherapy practice. The last of these combined many of the skills he had studied and carefully honed throughout his life, allowing him to help his clients with behavior modification, allergy relief, weight loss, and pain management. He and Carol also did hypnobirthing as a team, working with couples to have a joyful birthing experience.

Allen was a thinker, a planner, and a very passionate and caring man. He was a man of tremendous strength, both physically and intellectually, but he was also playful, patient, and kind. And he never missed an opportunity to make a Dad joke. He has left behind many touchstones for his family and friends. He will be remembered by many and missed by all whose lives he touched.^[2]

Remembrances

Allen was a man of many talents: He was a proficient trumpet player and played the national anthem at SCVSDA Jubilee, and played in a symphonic orchestra in Cupertino, CA He was a commercial certified pilot, a Magician, a Woodworker, a Hypnotist , Audio and Computer wiz, as well as a round dancer, and C3A level square dancer. He loved solving problems, meeting challenges and meeting new people. He was admired by all who knew him. He will be missed by all those whose lives he touched. Most of all by his wife Carol, and four children: Kimberly, Jason, Adam & Darrin and six grandchildren who all loved him dearly.
— Carol Glesser ^[3]