Vicki Allen

Vicki Allen, a longtime Denver-Aurora resident and marketing and business professional, died Nov. 3 when she was struck by a car near her Windsor Gardens home. She was on her way to work at the University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus, where she was executive assistant to the Vice Chancellor of University Communications. She was 67. Vicki was born in Siloam Springs, Ark., but spent her early years traveling with her family from one oilrig to another, following her father's job as a roughneck. When she reached school age, her family settled in the small town of Lakin, Kan., where Vicki graduated from high school. After a brief stint at a nearby college and a short time in California, she moved to Denver. While working in the Regency Hotel's marketing department, Vicki became good friends with a co-worker who moonlighted in a band. Vicki got to know some of her co-worker's musician friends, including a long-haired bass player with a band named Dallas. His name was Rick Allen. Vicki and Rick became friends, and then their friendship grew into something more. They were married on July 3, 1978. Both accomplished cooks, Vicki and Rick collaborated on meals that became legendary among their growing circle of family and friends – especially their annual Thanksgiving dinner. Vicki liked to ""cook big"" and invited people who would otherwise be alone for the holiday. Her oft-quoted saying: ""The more the merrier."" Professionally, Vicki's career thrived, including an 18-year stint doing special events marketing for U S WEST, one of the ""Baby Bells"" formed after the 1984 Bell System break-up. She helped support U S WEST's sponsorships of high-profile events such as The U.S. Open Golf Tournament at Cherry Creek and The International Golf Tournament at Castle Pines, and also helped manage the use of U S WEST's brand. While still working more than 50 hours a week, Vicki enrolled at the University of Denver Women's College (formerly Colorado Women's College), graduating Magna Cum Laude with a bachelors degree in business administration in 1995. After U S WEST, Vicki entered the banking industry, as an officer at TCF Bank and later at First Bank. In 2007 she joined the administrative staff of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus' School of Medicine, followed by its Colorado Clinical and Translation Sciences Institute. In 2011, she transferred to her current position in CU Denver/Anschutz's University Communications department. Vicki's many friends remember her as a vibrant woman with endless intellectual curiosity, a big smile, an even bigger heart, a flair for interior design, decorating and entertaining (a Hispanic Martha Stewart) and a love of travel. She and Rick took numerous trips, including to Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Alaska and St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. They also shared the unique experience of being struck by lightning, while walking in an Aurora park on a relatively cloudless day, earning the nicknames Sparky and Sparkette. Vicki and Rick were also involved locally as patrons of the Aurora Fox Arts Center and supporters of the Build the Box campaign, which raised funds for the Stage Theatre at the Fox. Vicki is survived by Rick, her husband of 38 years, whom Vicki still called ""my boyfriend"", her brother Bill Blankenship and his wife Maryanne Esteban. A celebration of Vicki's life will be held on Saturday, November 19 at the Windsor Gardens' Community Center, 595 S. Clinton St. in Denver. The room will be open from noon-4:00 p.m. for people who want to drop by. At 2:00 p.m., there will be an informal service. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Vicki's name to www.WildAnimalSanctuary.org or Mission:Wolf in Westcliffe, Colo.