Helen Allen, the oldest living member of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, passed away Saturday, June 4 in Forest Hills, N.Y. She was 101 years of age.
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001 as a truly great player, Allen’s impact on lacrosse far exceeded her exploits on the playing field. Her celebrated career also included service to the game as an administrator, a college and high school coach, and for over 60 years, as a game official.
“She was a real leader in many ways,” said fellow New Yorker and Hall of Famer Rosalia Gioia. “Helen was a mentor to many of us. As a player, she was tough and fiercely competitive, but she was also very encouraging to everyone.”
A 1941 graduate of Hunter College, Allen was not introduced to lacrosse until she arrived at college. Intrigued by the game, she sought to find a competitive outlet to play, but finding none, she took matters into her own hands.
In 1945, Allen became a founding member of the New York Women’s Lacrosse Association (NYWLA), serving as both a player and coach, as well as the NYWLA’s president. Allen played for the club for 35 years, both locally and against teams throughout the region.
“It’s not an easy sport,” Allen once said in an interview. “The balls are hard rubber and it’s very difficult to run with it and throw at the same time.”
Despite those challenges, Allen became a prolific scorer and was selected as a member of the U.S. national team from 1950-1960. She competed internationally against teams from England and Scotland.
“I am a competitor,” she often said. “I just loved to play. And the higher the level of play, the better.”
Allen also served as coach at her alma mater, Hunter College, from 1950-1970, and later at St. Francis Prep High School (then known as Bishop Reilly) from 1980 to 1985.
In addition to her playing and coaching career, Allen started officiating lacrosse in 1945 and continued to work games for over 60 years. A stickler for the rules, she officiated at every level from local high school games to international tournaments. She was a member of the United States Umpiring Committee for many years and chaired the committee from 1968-70. Allen also served as a longtime rater for National Officials.
Additional accomplishments include serving as the umpiring chair for the New York Lacrosse Association and serving on the board of directors for the Long Island Lacrosse Officials Association. In addition to her status as a member of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, she was also inducted into the Hunter College Athletics Hall of Fame and the Long Island Metro Lacrosse Foundation Hall of Fame.
As an educator, Allen worked for the Elmont School District where she taught physical education and health for 30 years and served as the assistant superintendent for 20 years.
A visitation is scheduled for Wednesday, June 8 (5-8 pm) at Fox Funeral Home in Forest Hills.
