Quentin Allen Algood

Quentin Allen Algood

Quentin Christine Allen Algood, passed away of cancer at home in Wasilla on August 12, 2021, held close by family and friends. She fought hard, and her last thoughts were for those she loves and leaves behind.

Quentin was born three months premature in Fairbanks on April 28, 1962, to June and Bob Allen. She joined a brood of four siblings and half-siblings, who were delighted that she used their dad’s handkerchiefs as diapers and slept in a shoebox.

After her dad’s divorce and later marriage in 1978, Quentin and her sister, Shelley, moved with them to Anchorage, where Quentin graduated from East High School. She married Randy Algood in 1987, and they settled in Valdez while Randy worked on the pipeline, later relocating to Wasilla.

Her daughter, Ariel Leigh, was stillborn in 1989. Quentin’s son, Robert “Bobby” Allen, was born in 1991; her love for him was fierce and adoring.

Quentin was bright, quick, funny, tenacious, strong-willed, tough, and observant, even as a child. These traits stood her in good stead throughout her life as she battled debilitating health issues that were poorly understood. One of these conditions affected her eyes so that eventually she became legally blind.

Quentin loved being outdoors. On one hunting trip, she exclaimed all she needed for happiness was a campfire and coffee. She hosted an annual Fourth of July barbecue and readily shared jars of homemade salsa from home-grown tomatoes and bottles of wine from her currants. And could she ever dance! She could line dance with her husband and waltz box step and jitterbug with her dad.

Quentin began her professional career as a legal secretary in Fairbanks and later worked with Hughes, Thorsness, Gantz, Powell, & Brundin in Anchorage. Eventually she joined two of her sisters in offering computer services as SisTec, Inc. In 1999 she started her own business, ITS Alaska Computer Services, where both she and her son worked until this year when she became too ill.

Quentin was not just an employer but also a mentor and trusted friend to many. She was an affiliate member of the Valley Board of Realtors, which posted “Q, as she was fondly known, was a quiet force that helped countless businesses and nonprofits with their websites.”

In 2017 she was given a Lifetime Honorary Membership by the Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce. She served on its Board of Directors for more than ten years, including as president in 2014 when it received the Chamber of the Year Award.

The Chamber wrote, “Quentin was an Alaska leader whose absence will leave a void for years to come in our hearts and in the people and organizations she assisted. She was a remarkable person, a perfectionist, flawless in her work, modest, always full of kindness and willingness to help others.”

“Her business sense, intuition, computer knowledge, professionalism, and humor were just a few of the traits that made her counsel worth seeking as you would from a friend who you know wants your business to succeed. She will be missed also for her sharp wit, caring demeanor, and selfless service to our communities.”

Quentin’s sister, Kathy writes, “She was organized, always learning and energetic. I admired her ability to see quickly the ‘whole’ of a situation, then jump in and resolve it.” Her sister, Cindy, shares, “I looked forward to her prime rib every Christmas. She was my little sister. I will miss her.”

From her friend, Susan Franznick: “I asked Q once what her favorite color is. She sang out ‘Sunshine yellow!’ Q will always be a bit of sunshine I keep in my heart.”

Quentin was predeceased by her daughter, Ariel; nephew, Paul Lopez; mother, June; grandparents, Ed and Donna Hoch, and Mel and Cissie Braund; and aunts and uncles, Char Rogers, Betty and Don Kinner, Ed Hoch, and Sue Braund-Clark.

She is survived by her son, Bobby; husband, Randy; father and stepmother, Bob Allen and Juli Braund-Allen; siblings, Missa (Jeff) Daigger, Shelley Allen, Cindy Lockhart, Kathy (Ron) Meggitt, Mike Allen, and Lee Ann Coady; relatives in the Allen, Lockhart, Hoch, Braund, Clark, Kinner, and Rogers families, including nieces, Tavi Daigger and Nicole Lockhart; nephews, Darius Lockhart and Joshua Bennett; uncle, Kay Hoch; aunts, Pamla and Betz Hoch; aunt and teacher, Francine Mears; and many dear friends who were more than family to her, including Meria and Brian Hight, Susan Franznick, and others.

Local arrangements were by Legacy Heritage Wasilla Chapel. A celebration of life will be held this summer.

Quentin had a heart for helping. In that spirit her family suggests memorial donations to the American Cancer Society (cancer.org), Alaska Family Services (akafs.org), or Clear Creek Cat Rescue (clearcreekcatrescue.org).

We’ll be seeing you, dearest Quentin.