"Shirley, I was a friend of Skips at Hamilton high School and hung out with him at our 50th reunion in Hamilton. Chris and several other classmates notified me of his death. I remember him fondly throughout our high school days. Four of us, all dating other people, worked together on the yearbook and played bridge together regularly. It was a great opportunity for friendship and laughter. We haven't kept in touch, but I wish we had. I would have loved to talk to him about literature and life. I am saddened by his death and wanted you to know how deeply I feel your loss. May you cherish the time you had together and continue to live as he would like you to live. Susan Maybeck "
In loving memory of
Allen Nelson Fitchen
August 8, 1936 - December 25, 2009
Madison - Allen Nelson Fitchen, retired Director of The University of Wisconsin Press (1982-1998) and former Senior Editor at The University of Chicago Press (1967-1982), died on Christmas Day, 2009 at HospiceCare in Fitchburg, WI. He died after a 16-year battle with lung cancer. He was 73. After graduating from Hamilton High School in 1954, Allen continued his education at Amherst College, graduating cum laude in 1958. At Amherst he majored in English Literature and was a member of Psi Upsilon fraternity. After Amherst, Allen taught English for a year at Mount Hermon, a prep school in Greenfield, MA, and subsequently attended Cornell University, receiving a master's degree in English in 1960. He was hired by Macmillan publishing company as a college textbook salesman in Ohio, and was later promoted to college textbook editor. In 1967, he joined the University of Chicago Press as Humanities Editor. Allen met his first wife, Jane Cady, while still at Amherst. They were married in 1959 and were soon busy raising a family together when Anne (1960), Christopher (1962), and William (1965) were born. The family enjoyed vacationing on Cape Cod, at the Indiana Dunes, and in Michigan. After a flurry of moves early in his career, Allen and Jane settled in Chicago in 1967. Allen enjoyed a long and fruitful career in scholarly publishing, advancing to Senior Editor at Chicago and then to Director of the University of Wisconsin Press in 1982. He made significant additions to the book lists of both presses. He may be best remembered for his role in bringing into print the popular fictional work "A River Runs Through It", written by Norman Maclean. This was the first work of fiction ever published by the University of Chicago Press. For Allen, the most fulfilling aspect of his work was the opportunity to meet and correspond with so many extraordinary people. After his divorce in 1986, Allen married Shirley J. Bergen, a Wisconsin native, in 1988. Allen and Shirley enjoyed exploring the "blue highways" of America. They took several long driving trips each year, often visiting family or friends. Allen chronicled many of these trips in albums filled with photos taken by Shirley. After his retirement in 1998, their destinations expanded to include Mexico, Costa Rica, Belize, Trinidad and Tobago, France, and Oman. Allen was an active volunteer for the Badger Chapter of the American Red Cross, delivering blood to area hospitals and authoring a training manual. He also led bird-walks for Madison-area school groups. Allen is survived by his wife, Shirley J. Bergen, of Madison, WI; his former wife, Jane Cady Fitchen of Fitchburg, WI; his brother John Fitchen, M.D., of Portland, OR; his daughter Anne Fitchen Currier, of Rochester, MN; sons Christopher, of Evanston, IL, and William, of The Woodlands, TX; his step-daughter Eleni Otto, of Corrales, NM; and six grandchildren. The family is profoundly grateful for the help and compassion of many neighbors, friends, caregivers and medical personnel. In accordance with Allen's wishes, there will be no service. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Allen's memory may be made to the American Red Cross or HospiceCare, Inc., 5395 E. Cheryl Pkwy., Madison, WI 53711.
Allen, known to many as Skip, grew up in Hamilton, N.Y., where his father, John Frederick Fitchen, was Professor of Fine Arts at Colgate University. His mother, Elizabeth Nelson Fitchen, was an active participant in civic organizations and government. In his youth Allen was active in the Boy Scouts and in high school sports and drama. While growing up in Hamilton he developed lifelong interests in the outdoorsin particular, bird-watchingand travel, making several extended tours of Europe both alone and with his family.
Tributes
"I am so saddened to hear this news of Allen's passing. To all of Allen's family, I wish you warm greetings of comfort. Allen was director of the UW Press when my book on Aldo Leopold was brought to publication, and his guidance and advice to a fist-time author was (and remains) so greatly appreciated. In the years to come, Allen and I spoke often about books and travels and... birds. This morning, here in southeast Arizona where I am working at the moment, we watched 30,000 sandhill cranes take off at dawn, while their compatriot coots and shovelers and harriers and blackbirds and egrets added to the spectacle. It was a memorable morning. Now I will attach my good memories of Allen to this day, and keep them in my heart forever. "
"Allen was one of the very few people both respected and genuinely loved by his colleagues. He had his finger on the pulse of the workplace. An extraordinary acquisitions editor, he made us copyeditors at the University of Chicago Press feel true collaborators with him and his authors. He enjoyed and, indeed, fostered camaraderie among the various departments. He told me, for example, that his initial coolness toward Stan Plona, the sales manager, turned into a close friendship when Stan discovered that Jacques Derrida's notoriously difficult works were salable after all. When Allen invited my old friend Anne Langenbach, a long-time production controller at the Press, to lunch, she was of course delighted but curious to know the reason. "It's because we've got through another year," Allen explained. Thank you, Allen, for helping all of us get through a lot of years. "
"My heart goes out to you. I am a server at Quiveys Grove restaurant where I have happily waited on Allen, one of Allens & Shirley's favorite places to go for fish fry and of course... a spotted cow. He and Shirley not only became my favorite customers, but also very dear friends. I lost my grandparents at a very young age, and I felt Allen and Shirley filled my void. My heart goes out to you all. Allen was a great person and always will be remembered. I miss him dearly, he always put a smile on my face the second I saw him walk through that door....I will miss that. A note to Shirley..."Sweetie, hang in there...this will be difficult, I know...Allen is in a better place and looking down on us...and there's nothing more that Allen would want is for you to be happy, please try...for Allen." Jennifer Arntsen/Quiveys Grove"
"Dear Shirley, I know that, along with this very painful loss, you know that having loved and lost is far, far better than never have known and loved at all. Others of us cannot know the depth to which you've had that experience, but it is most certainly the case that, to whatever lesser degree, we value and deeply cherish having had Allen in our lives. What a difference he made and continues to make!! With my sincere condolences and warmest regards, fran gamwell "
"I was an editor at the University of Chicago Press, overlapping in years with Allen. His commitment to his work and his authors left a strong and positive impression on me. I'll always remember the stacks of manuscripts in his office, all neatly ordered. When he retired I missed seeing him -- and that wonderful smile -- at professional meetings. He'll continue to be in my thoughts as we try to manage this wonderful and scary profession of university publishing. Best, Marlie"
"My prayers will be with you tonight. I worked with Allen when he was at The University of Chicago Press. I'll always remember his warm smile and kind heart. "
"NUESTRO MeS SENTISO PESAME A LA FAMILIA FITCHEN. RESAMOS POR VUESTRA PRONTA RESIGNACIe--N. DIOS LOS BENDIGA. RENe Y PATRICIA. VILLAMEDIANA DE IREGUA, LA RIOJA. ESPAeA. 29-12-09"
"Dear Shirley and the Fitchen family, On behalf of everyone at the University of Wisconsin Press, I want to say how sorry we are to hear of Allen's death. He made enormous contributions to the growth and reputation of the Press that are still being felt, and I expect I will be even more aware of that as we prepare for the Press's 75th anniversary in 2011. We have posted a memorial note and photo on the Press's web site at http://uwpress.wisc.edu/ We enjoyed visiting with Allen last January at Margaret Walsh's retirement lunch and in October 2008 at our Press Halloween party (at which we were delighted to see him arrive in costume). Though frail, he was full of wit and humor as always. I have sent a memorial notice to the listserv of the Association of American University Presses and will notify the authors Allen worked with. He had many friends at other presses who will remember him warmly. I have heard already today from Bruce Wilcox at the Univ of Massachusetts Press, who wrote: "Seeing Allen's photo brought back memories of many enjoyable conversations I had with him over the years. Such a smart guy and yet so modest." Indeed. Our thoughts are with you. Sheila Leary and the staff of the University of Wisconsin Press"