Charles Jesse Allen

Charles (Chuck) Jesse Allen, 63, of Chino Valley, died Friday, May 22, 2009, at Prescott?s in-patient Hospice Family Care. He fought cancer with determination and is now in peaceful rest.   A 44-year career veteran of the U.S. Forest Service, most recently he managed air tanker operations at the Prescott Fire Center. His large circle of friends includes pilots and tanker operators in the fire-fighting aviation community across the country. Prior to coming to the Prescott National Forest in 1996, he managed the air tanker base at Grand Canyon, in the Tusayan Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest.   Chuck was born in Santa Fe, N.M., and moved as a youngster with his family to Falls Church, Va., and then as a teenager to Grand Canyon National Park where his father was the park?s administrative officer. His first job was running the projector for Emery Kolb?s films for tourists on the South Rim. He graduated from Grand Canyon High School in 1964, and worked as a seasonal employee of the U.S. Forest Service while attending college. He joined the agency full-time in 1967 and opened the Grand Canyon Tanker Base in 1969.   The quality and quantity of Chuck?s circle of friends is remarkable. He was liked and respected for his humor, grace under pressure, professionalism and fairness. He was proud of his contributions to the Forest Service?s wildfire suppression and aviation programs; in 1999 he managed a pilot program that used a giant brush-crusher to eliminate undergrowth in fire-danger areas in urban-wildland corridors around Prescott. He received numerous commendations for fire-fighting logistics over the years.   He was an avid outdoorsman, and known among friends for his extensive knowledge of and enthusiasm for firearms. He taught gun safety classes for several years. Other interests included Northern Arizona history and WWII-era aircraft that had been converted for fire-fighting operations.   In 1950, he and his sister were the first children to see the bear cub who had been brought to a veterinarian near their Santa Fe home for bandaging of his paws burned in a forest fire. That cub became Smokey Bear, the living symbol for conservation and wildfire prevention, ironically Chuck?s chosen profession in later years.   Chuck is survived by his sister Janet and brother-in-law Madden (Pat) Works of Fullerton, Calif. Celebrations of his life will be held in Prescott in mid-June (date and place to be announced) and also at Grand Canyon later in the summer.