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By Kent Larsen
Las Vegas LDS Opera Patron, Tove Allen, Succumbs to Cancer
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- A prominent patron of opera and the arts in Las Vegas,
Tove Allen, died Sunday after a two-year battle with ovarian cancer. Allen
was remembered in both major Las Vegas newspapers as an important and
influential supporter of both the Nevada Opera Theatre and the arts in
general. She was 67.
Allen was a native of Denmark, living there through World War II and
emigrating to the US at the age of 18, in 1951. She was particularly proud
of her Danish heritage, says her daughter, Cathy Allen, "She was very proud
that during World War II the Danish king wouldn't hand over the Jews to the
invading Germans."
After marrying John M. Allen in 1955 in Wyoming, Allen moved with her family
to Las Vegas in 1969. She worked as an executive for large retailers in Las
Vegas, including Bullock's, Saks Fifth Avenue and Diane Freis. But it was in
the arts that her efforts shone. When her friend, Eileen Hayes, founded the
Nevada Opera Theatre in 1985, Allen joined the company's board and soon
founded the Nevada Opera Theatre Guild.
The Guild ran fund-raisers and helped develop outreach programs to educate
the community about the importance of the arts. Under Allen's guidance, the
guild developed programs that sent Operat Theatre performers to elementary
schools in the county each spring, to perform the operas "Hansel and Gretel"
and "Little Red Riding Hood."
While helping with the Guild, Allen gained a reputation as a persistent
fundraiser who simply wouldn't take no for an answer. "Tove was a tremendous
asset ... just a tireless worker," says Hayes. In addition to the Guild,
Allen was also involved in several other organizations, such as the Friends
of Charleston Heights Arts Center, Young Audiences, and the Danish
organization Rebuild Park Society.
The Guild honored Allen in 1996, establishing the Tove Allen Sholarship
Fund, which awards scholarships to high school seniors who place in the top
three in an annual competition. The first scholarships were awarded in 1998,
just months after Allen learned that she had cancer. But in spite of the
cancer, she remained involved in the arts to the end. "She couldn't sing
worth a lick but she certainly had an appreciation for the talent of
others," said her son, John Allen. "She devoted her heart and soul to the
arts. She certainly had a dramatic impact on the visibility of opera in Las
Vegas."
Sources:
Tove Allen, founder of Opera Guild, dies
Las Vegas NV Review-Journal 30Jan01 P2
By Sonya Padgett: Review-Journal
Prominent patron of the arts in LV, Allen dies at 67
Las Vegas NV Sun 30Jan01 P2
By Kris Hill: Las Vegas Sun
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