Ralph E. Allen, 104, of Des Moines, Wash., died Friday morning, May 19, 2000, at Wesley Homes Gardens. Born in West Gouldsboro on May 14, 1896, the son of Capt. Fred H. Allen and Laura E. Allen.

At the age of 7, Ralph moved to Everett, Mass., with his mother. His father was a master mariner and owned his own ship, The Pomvert. Ralph sailed with him many times to the West Indies. He grew up and was educated in the greater Boston schools. He earned the rank of lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during World War I and was stationed in Scotland aboard a destroyer with the Royal Navy. After completing his tour of duty he returned to Boston to complete his college education at Harvard University, graduating in 1920. At the time of his death he was the oldest living Harvard graduate.

After college he moved to Seattle, Wash. He went to work for United Airlines when the company was in its infant stage and later became its vice president and treasurer. When United opened its first office in Chicago, Ralph and his wife, Dorothy, moved there. Several years later he left the airlines and moved back to Seattle and took a job with a hydraulics company until his retirement. After that, he and his wife traveled extensively and lived the last 25 years of their lives together in Santa Barbara, Calif. After Dorothy passed away, he moved back to Seattle for the last time.

He is survived by one first cousin, Margaret A. Blaisdell and her husband, Tedford, of West Gouldsboro and a niece by marriage, Ann Gulbranson and her husband, Jack, of Bainbridge Island, Wash. There are several other cousins and friends.