Submitted by his mother

Jeff Allen was the hub of his family‚ his friends and his co-firefighters. Jeff was 24 when he and co-firefighter‚ Shane Heath‚ died on July 22‚ 2003 after being over run by flames in the Cramer Creek Fire‚ located at North Fork‚ Lemhi County‚ Idaho. They had rappelled into the area earlier in the day to cut down trees for a heli-spot.

Jeff was born on January 17‚ 1979‚ at Salmon‚ Idaho to Bill and Diz Allen and has an older brother Ryan. He graduated from Salmon High School in May of 1997. He would have graduated from Boise State University in December of 2003 with a degree in business and would have obtained his accounting degree of May of 2004. In fact‚ Boise State sent us his diploma in Business Administration.

Jeff‚ who was known as Phro to his friends and Bubba to his family‚ was an all around athlete. He was a three-year-letterman in basketball and football and a four-year letterman in golf. He was the Mountain River Conference Player of the Year in 1997 in basketball and was also first team all conference in football. Jeff was chosen to play in the 1997 Down Under Bowl in Australia. He loved sports and athletic competition. Salmon High School has retired his basketball number 22 and his basketball uniform now hangs in a shadow box in the foyer of Salmon High School.

Jeff worked for the Forest Service in the summers fighting fires starting in the summer of 1998 and moved to the Indianola Helirappeller crew in 2000‚ where he rappelled into fires as part of the initial attack crew. He had traveled all over the western United States fighting forest fires and truly loved his dangerous job.

Jeff had served as an assistant for the Boise State basketball team for the 2002-2003 season and his ultimate dream was to become a college basketball coach. He would have been a good coach with his many talents‚ his people to people skills‚ his humor‚ dedication and love of the game.

Jeff loved his family and enjoyed their many family activities and especially enjoyed being with his Mom and Dad and brother Ryan. The two brothers shared a special bond between them from childhood to adulthood. Jeff was an outstanding young man who was taken away just as his whole life was coming into focus. He was promised to Jennifer Dockter of Rupert‚ Idaho‚ whom he met at Boise State. The couple was inseparable and had plans of finishing their college degrees and spending their lives together.

His funeral was held at the Salmon High School gym and was attended by approximately 1600 people‚ with the Forest Service Honor Guard participating in the service. At the cemetery there was a fly over with a fixed wing and two helicopters‚ with the 193‚ which was his base helicopter‚ breaking off from the formation to honor the fallen firefighter. A rock formation of his number ’22’ was placed on ‘S’ hill the day before his funeral and remained there until June 4‚ 2005.

The Jeff Allen Memorial Fund has been established in his memory at the US Bank in Salmon‚ Idaho. The money from this fund helps support high school athletics in Salmon‚ Idaho.

Jeff is remembered by his friends as a very special person and one-of-a-kind. Many have said they have never met any one like him. He was a friend to all who knew him as he considered everyone his equal. He lived life to the fullest‚ making the most out of every day and every situation.

Not a day goes by that Jeff is not missed by his family and friends. He was an outstanding young man‚ a sweetheart and will remain in our hearts forever.