Helen Allen, 85, of Boston, Massachusetts passed away peacefully at home in Ojai, California on February 11th, 2026, surrounded by loved ones. Born in Hyde Park in the same house her great-grandfather built, Helen graduated from the University of Maine in 1962 before heading off to backpack across Europe. Helen then went on to work as a cryptoanalyst, making and breaking code for the Kennedy administration in Washington, D.C.  She spent 50 years in Ojai teaching and playing tennis, and leading women from The Oaks on early-morning walks, telling them her signature jokes and stories.  

Helen loved spending time with her family and friends at her home in Ojai and out on the town, playing tennis with pros and newcomers alike, and making anyone she met along the way laugh with her razor-sharp wit. She liked to sum up her decades of tennis coaching with the line:  “watch the ball, bend your knees–that will be twenty dollars, please.” Helen received a Title IX recognition for her contributions to women in sports in 2022, and was recognized as an Ojai Living Treasure for her 30 years teaching tennis in Ojai, stating upon receiving the recognition: “The joy is mine.” 

Many Ojai residents will remember Helen and her partner, Lynne, for their significant contributions to the LGBTQ community of Ojai, including inaugurating the town's first Pride Walk in 1992 with just six other lesbians; bringing numerous musicians and comedians to town through their “Lavender Livingroom Productions”; and hosting their legendary pool parties, which provided safe haven and fun for the women’s community for decades.  Helen and Lynne were recognized by national, state, and local LGBTQ organizations for their pioneering work in building a vibrant local community.  She and Lynne opened their home to anyone who needed a roof over their heads, fed them at their table, and loved them like family.  

Helen is survived by her partner of 36 years, Lynne Doherty, her sons Spencer Allen (Kristi), Skipper Allen (Christina), and her five grandchildren, Sean, Kasey, Aimee, Rylee, and Carlie. Helen will be remembered for her warm and generous heart, her joyful soul and her love for everyone she met. We hope that whether or not you knew her you will hear her in a child’s laughter, a bawdy joke, and in the warm kindness strangers show to each other.  Her spirit is a gift to all who had the utmost pleasure to know her.  In lieu of flowers, gifts in Helen’s name can be made to the Ojai Valley Tennis Club, OVTC Youth Tennis, PO Box 482, Ojai 93024.