William Andrew Allen, known as “Bill” to his friends and “Drew” to his family, passed away on September 22, 2026, in Cottonwood, Arizona, at the age of 77.

Born in Jacksonville, Illinois, on November 2nd, 1948, he was the only child of the late William A. Allen and Miriam Cowgur Allen. His family later relocated to Pacific Palisades, California, where his father established a long-standing retail jewelry business in Brentwood.

William graduated from Occidental College with a degree in psychology. He went on to work in his father’s jewelry store and served as a wholesale jewelry sales representative. A man of diverse talents and passions, he later established a boat repair business in Marina Del Rey and shared his love for the water by teaching kayaking for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). In his spare time, he meticulously restored an antique wooden sailboat, studied several forms of martial arts, and immersed himself in the live music scene at the now-historic venues on Sunset Boulevard.

Following an early retirement, William traveled the western United States in his motorhome before choosing to settle in the historic mining town of Jerome, Arizona.

He will be fondly remembered by all who knew him as a colorful storyteller who lived life completely on his own terms.

William is survived by his first cousins, Jane Kelsey-Mapel of Phoenix, Arizona, and Thomas Kelsey of Scotts Valley, California.

Arrangements are private. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests celebrating William's memory by enjoying a live music performance or spending a quiet moment by the water.