Douglas Stuart Allen

Douglas Stuart Allen, who lived as an artist, a father, a brother, an uncle, and a husband, died in FRANCE on January 16, 2021. Douglas was born in Ft. Dodge IA (12/17/23). He was the youngest of five boys born to Esther Davis Allen “Bobby” from Marion IA and Amariah Lewis Allen “Ami” from Blairstown IA.

The family moved to the Beverly neighborhood of Chicago during the economic downturn that preceded the Great Depression (1926). In the woods behind their home, Douglas and brothers, mastered skills and techniques portrayed in the first Tarzan film, as well as a zip line that required nerves of steel. They baked Idaho potatoes covered in mud on an outdoor fire. They played pirate beneath the pirate tree. Below ground they tunneled and made caves in the soil, and above ground they rode on home-made scooters, built from orange crates and old roller skates. The family owned a pony that the boys rode in the woods behind the house.

The family moved to River Bend Farm in Saint Charles, as the grip on the economy loosened (1935). Douglas and a brother were awarded ribbons for 2 prize winning Holstein heifers, Daisy and Arabella, at the 4H Club, Kane County fair (1937). Doug attended and graduated from the Elgin Academy in the class of 1941.

In December, 1942, days before his 19th Birthday, Douglas joined the US Navy. As an ensign he sailed aboard the USS Paine in October 1945 and later was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant JG before his discharge.

On the GI bill, Douglas attended Yale University as an undergraduate and then entered the Harvard Business School program before making a informational shift. While working in a building- supply business in Wayne in the early 1950’s Douglas found the vision that inspired a life-altering decision.

In order to engage in the visual arts, Douglas next attended the Accademia di Belle Arti in Rome (1953), the Académie Julian and L'Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris. In many ways, this new chapter concerning the pursuit of visual art, would remain for the next 67 years of his life.

Douglas continued his artistic studies under Oscar Kokoschka, German Expression style painter (who was Austrian). In Austria, “I worked with him in 1954, 1955 and in the early 60’s”, and then in Switzerland, “I was lucky enough to visit him almost annually during his later years”. These visits (1978) with his mentor and friend continued almost to the end of Kokoschka’s life.

Douglas married Elisabeth de la Rochefoucauld, in Paris, with brother Davis “Dave” Allen inattendance (1955). In Saint Charles, as newlyweds, Douglas and Elisabeth started their family with the birth of their first daughter, Anne Laure (1956) and soon after their second, Isabel (1958). They lived in a ranch-style house, beside the older gabled home of his parents, Bobby and Ami, on top of a forested hill at the end of a ½ mile gravel drive. This secluded setting created space for inspiration and creativity. On special Sundays, they took Bobby to the Colonial for ice cream.

During the following years, Douglas, traveled extensively to France, Haiti, Morocco, Jamaica, and domestically to Long Island, Maine, and the mid-west. For Douglas, these travels were an opportunity to paint and draw urban and rural landscapes, gardens, flowers, animals and many other subjects using oils, watercolor, pencil, charcoal and other media. Along the way, Douglas showed his work at art exhibits and openings during the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's in Paris, Chicago, Geneva (Illinois), New York, Nantucket and Palm Beach.

Life back in Illinois continued in parallel to the artistic career of Doug. From the 1960's until 1995, he joined in the family-run real estate business, A. L. Allen & Sons, Realtors, where he filled roles of realtor, developer, manager and partner, along with his father “Ami”, brothers Ami “Jack”, Richard “Dick”, Thomas “Tom” and his nephew Mark. He was a member of the Fox Valley Board of Realtors.

For relaxation, he enjoyed a summertime routine of swimming laps in the pool at the Dunham Woods Riding Club where he and his family were long-time members. During colder seasons, he frequently wore tweed outer-layers while walking on the chilling prairie.

Douglas and Elisabeth retired to Dourdan, FRANCE (1995). While living in Dordan, Douglas received the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, an artistic award by the French government. While in Dourdan, Douglas continued to keep his paint brushes and pencils close at hand, visiting grand sites such as Chartes, a traveling circus, and the humble village market, always with an eye for “the pursuit of beauty, the love of color, the vigor and sense of space that absorbed his attention” for so many years.



Douglas’ final move was to the Residence Amodru, La Ferte-Alais, FRANCE (2018 until 2021). If he lacked the paint supplies to otherwise capture them, he would at least feed table scraps to the cats in residence, when they visited him at mealtimes. This made him quite popular with the cats. Shortly before his passing, Douglas was transferred to Corbeil Essonne hospital, in France, where he suffered from health complications related particularly to COVID19, at the age of 97. He died peacefully.

Douglas was preceded in death by his brothers “Dick” (Kentfield, CA), “Dave” (Ft. Lauderdale, FL), “Jack” (Batavia, IL) and “Tom” (Santa Fe, NM), his wife Elisabeth (Dourdan), and his daughter Anne Laure (Dourdan). He is survived by his loving daughter Isabel S. Allen of Paris, and many loving nieces and nephews. Gifts can be made to your local bird sanctuary, or animal shelter, as Douglas spent much time capturing their behaviors with the brush or pencil tip.