When Lisa Brown thinks of her father, Steve Allen, she remembers him as a “very friendly guy” who spent his life taking photos, enjoyed being a part of his community, and wanted to help people.

Allen, 63, died of COVID-19 complications last Monday. Allen was staying in a rehabilitation facility, recuperating from having a pacemaker implanted, Brown told Boston.com. The family believes that’s where he contracted the deadly virus.

“He was doing much better and feeling great, actually, which is just so unfortunate, because he was in a rehabilitation facility just trying to get better so he could come home,” Brown said.


Allen was brought to St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton and placed on a ventilator.

“It was just a very rapid decline,” Brown said. He died just five days after entering the hospital.

Allen’s lifelong love of photography started early. He grew up in Dorchester, and his father was a photographer, too, Brown said. Allen spent years photographing personal events, like weddings, and various things in the community. He also worked in retail for a camera company. More recently, he had his own local newspaper, Neighborhood Photo News. Allen remained focused on Dorchester as well as South Boston.

“He was a very friendly guy,” Brown said of her dad. “It’s funny, because people have been commenting that he always had a smile. He was pretty fun … I’m laughing because I was thinking of [how] people who know him really well would go, ‘He had the gift of the gab.’”

Jokes aside about the difficulty of getting off the phone with her dad, Brown said Allen really enjoyed being out in, and being a part of, his community.

“He really loved helping people, maybe even more than I realized,” Brown said. “He would always be trying to connect people with one another. If somebody could help someone else, he would be the connector between them.”


Whether it was being a sponsor for a little league baseball team, or getting people connected with resources, Allen was there to help, Brown said.

Allen also loved local politics, and it’s something Brown said she shared in common with him.

“People reach out to me just saying that he helped them with their campaign,” she said. “Even things like offering words of encouragement to them and cheering them on.”

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh wrote about the loss of Allen on Twitter.

“Sad to hear of the passing of Steve Allen, a man who loved nothing more than showcasing his community and his neighbors through his photography and in his newspaper,” Walsh wrote. “He will be sorely missed in Boston.”

Sad to hear of the passing of Steve Allen, a man who loved nothing more than showcasing his community and his neighbors through his photography and in his newspaper. He will be sorely missed in Boston.https://t.co/joY4w4GNtA — Mayor Marty Walsh (@marty_walsh) April 14, 2020

Allen and Walsh had known each other for “a long time,” according to Brown, adding that Walsh also is a Dorchester native.

Allen was also involved with organizing the Dorchester Day Parade, his daughter said, and helped run Little Miss Dorchester in the past.

“He would always be taking pictures,” Brown noted. “He was definitely a staple in some of those things.”

Brown is one of five siblings, she said. Her father and mother were married for over 40 years, and they had “a very special relationship.”

“She’s getting through it,” Brown described. “But she’s broken hearted and it leaves a really big hole for her.”

A friend of the family set up a “virtual wake” on Facebook where people have been adding photos and sharing memories of Allen. True to his profession, several photos show him with a camera around his neck.


There’s also a Meal Train set up where people can donate to the family, or sign up to make meals on a calendar.

“Being able to see all the pictures, and the comments online has been really helpful to us,” Brown said.

Because of the COVID-19 crisis, the family can’t go through the usual process of having a wake and funeral immediately, “where people would get together in one place and all kind of share stories over a period of days,” Brown said.

“In his last days, I hadn’t seen him in a month because of the restriction on visitors,” Brown said. “And that part is really hard.”

A small private service is planned with a celebration of life to be scheduled at a later date when it’s safe, she said.

The family is grateful for the community support, according to Brown. People have been sending flowers, food, and donations, even during a time when some are facing unemployment and financial strain.

“The outpouring from the community, it’s just been so humbling, and my family has been so grateful for the love and support we’ve received from so many people,” Brown said.