Edgar Robert (Ed) Allingham, 87, of Sturgeon Bay, WI, passed away on September 14, 2020 at NHC Tullahoma, TN. He was born on August 23, 1933, in Tomah, Wisconsin to Leslie Hugh and Vida (Gottbehuet) Allingham. He graduated from Carroll College (now university) as a History major with a Physics minor. On June 11, 1955, he married fellow Carroll College graduate, Marjory Stephan, in Milwaukee.
Ed spent much of his life in the military, rising through the Army ranks from Private to Lieutenant Colonel. He served three tours in Germany, one in Vietnam, and one in South Korea, gaining family friends across the globe in places including Korea, the Philippines, France, Germany, Denmark and across the USA. Highlights of his military experience include Missile and Rocket programs under Werner Von Braun at Redstone Arsenal, a professorship in military science at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Inspector General in Korea and in his final tour in Germany, Commander of the 101st Ordnance Battalion and Deputy Community Commander of Wharton Barracks. Among other recognitions, he was awarded Vietnam’s Commendation Medal, an Ordnance Badge, the Bronze Star Medal, the Joint Services Commendation, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Legion of Merit.
After retiring from the military he returned to Wisconsin, grew a beard, and served eight years as the first city administrator of Sturgeon Bay, after which he worked as chief financial officer at Evergreen Nursery in Sturgeon Bay. In between work and family he enjoyed hand-crafting wooden items for Marjory to paint in her rustic German “Bauern-malerei” style and took great pride in his extensive garden. Ed was a long time active member of the Sturgeon Bay Moravian Church and the Henry S. Baird #174 Masonic Lodge.
Survivors include three children, Jon (Baerbel) Allingham, New City, NY; Steve Allingham, Eau Claire, WI; and Liesl Allingham (Terry Papillon), Sewanee, TN; three grandchildren, Kyle, John Kenneth, and Huxley. He was preceded in death by his wife, Marjory Stephan Allingham.
A memorial service will be held at the Sturgeon Bay Moravian Church at a future date.
Memorial contributions can be given to Shriners Hospitals for Children (www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org).
