Allen Myers was born in St. Louis June 8, 1925 to Barnett Myers and Anna Kramer Myers. Following graduation from Southwest High School he served in Europe in the Third Army under George Patton. He was a member of the Third Division band and took part in the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp in April, 1945. During his service in the army of occupation, he was able to study French horn at the Mozarteum conservatory in Salzburg.

Following military service he completed two degrees in music. A search for a dissertation topic led him to the Iowa Hospital School for Severely Handicapped Children where he both taught and researched ways that music could help children. On completion of the PhD at University of Iowa he founded the department of special education at Eastern Montana College. Subsequent academic assignments included head of the department of Special Education at Eastern Michigan University and Director of the Rackham Residential School for Handicapped Children, Dean of the Colleges of Education at Eastern Michigan University, University of Minnesota, Duluth, and Ohio University. He had a special interest in broadening the education of future teachers through international exchange programs. Under his leadership the College of Education at Ohio University participated in the USAID programs in southern Africa to improve the education of children and professional development of teachers. He was a member the President’s Council for Exceptional Children in Washington D. C…

Throughout his career Allen maintained a strong interest in music and enjoyed playing French horn in orchestras and chamber music groups. After retiring to St. Louis he played in the University City Symphony Orchestra, the Brentwood (now Town and Country) Orchestra, The Florissant Valley College Orchestra and the Meramec College Symphony Band

As a husband and father he is remembered for his sense of humor, his kindness, his generosity, his love of learning, keen intellect and championship of education. He was never more content than when the family gathered for birthdays, anniversaries and holidays; the door was always open and everyone was welcome. He took great pride in the artistic and academic pursuits of his family. He took every opportunity often traveling great distances to attend special events

He was an avid reader. He had a great love of all things artistic and aesthetic and historic as a supporter of the St. Louis Symphony, the Theater in Niagara-on-the-Lake, the Santa Fe Opera, National Society of Arts and Letters, The St. Louis Botanical Garden, the Missouri Historical Society and the First Unitarian Church of St. Louis.

He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers: Maurice Myers and Stanley Myers. He is survived by one brother, Louis Myers, his wife of 69 years Jeanette Stevens Myers. He was the father of Suzanne Myers, Carol Miyake, Ruth Myers-Brown and David Steven Myers and grandfather of seven grandchildren and one great grandchild.

A memorial service will be held on August 5 at 2:00 P. M. at the First Unitarian Church, 5007 Waterman at the corner of Kingshighway.
Gifts in his honor could be designated for the St. Louis Symphony “Symphony in the Community” program or Art Works.