Richard and Shelley Allen’s story is one of love, laughter, and a shared passion for helping others.
With a combined career spanning decades in the medical industry, they have dedicated their lives to making a difference. However, their greatest achievement is the love they share and the family they have built, which has only grown stronger over 54 years of marriage.
Shelley, a former associate professor, and Richard, a retired specialist public health physician, met while Shelley was studying occupational therapy. “He just made me laugh,” Shelley recalled. Richard, then a registrar at the day hospital, was smitten. “This charming lass came across, and the rest is history,” he said with a grin.
Richard worked mostly in child and adolescent mental health, public health, and drug addiction, while Shelley focused on employment transitions for those with disabilities or injuries. Shelley’s passion for the field led her to complete a PhD in assessing job readiness after injury.
“I’ve always been interested in employment transitions,” she said, while Richard’s career was marked by his work in drug addiction and HEP-C. Despite their busy schedules, they always found time for each other and their four children.
In 1987, with their children aged 9-15, they decided to embark on a year-long adventure, withdrawing their kids from school in Australia to explore Europe in a motorhome. However, they soon discovered that many European campsites weren’t open all year, prompting them to secure jobs and enrol their children in a Welsh-speaking school in Wales. Richard and Shelley found work at a psychiatric hospital there, where they were accommodated in a mansion within the hospital grounds. “It was so big the kids could play soccer and cricket in the foyer,” said Shelley.
As their children grew, it’s safe to say they all inherited an ambitious drive from their parents. Though their eldest daughter’s life was tragically cut short in 2005 after a brave battle with a brain tumour, her legacy as a talented electronic engineer lives on. Their eldest son has dedicated over 20 years to the SAS, while their other son pursues a PhD in Glasgow as a union organiser. Their youngest, Rosie, follows in Richard’s footsteps as a child and adolescent psychiatrist in Melbourne, now with a family of her own!
Shelley and Richard are proud of the difference they made in their careers, but now they’re excited to focus on their next chapter together. They’ve traded in their busy schedules and home in Mt Gravatt for a more relaxed pace at The Village Coorparoo, where they enjoy walks, choir, pool activities, and dancing together.
“We take what opportunity we can to go for walks” Shelley says, mentioning their favourite trails at Mt Glorious and Maleny. And with the flexibility to travel, they enjoy visiting their grandchildren in Melbourne and Perth.
Richard, who took some time to adjust to retirement, now appreciates the freedom to relax. “I’m naturally slothful,” he jokes.
No matter where life takes them, one thing is for sure; their bond, built on shared passions, values, and a whole lot of laughter is unbreakable. “I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else,” said Richard
Richard and Shelley are residents at The Village Coorparoo. This article originally featured in edition 4 of The Village Retirement Group’s resident magazine, “Village Living.” Request your copy of the magazine today when you enquire below.
