Attorney Allen Gary Palmer (aka “Blitz”), age 54, died July 17 of Parkinson’s disease, which ended his life but never brought him down. Indeed, Allen, who was one of the most interesting and memorable members of the Connecticut bar, turned on the disease in “man bites dog” fashion and taught us about diversity and inclusion for people with disabilities.

He came to Connecticut in 1977, graduated from Newtown High School, the University of Connecticut at Storrs, and the Cardozo Law School at Yeshiva University. Allen, a person of many interests and passions, defied easy description. He was a gifted and highly successful family law lawyer. He was active in the American Bar Association and other bar-related organizations, and the Connecticut Bar Association. His friend of 25 years, Monte Frank, knowing of Allen’s great interest in diversity and inclusion, appointed him to the CBA’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee when Monte became bar president. Allen immediately dove into the work and prepared the template for section support of the CBA’s diversity initiative, enlisting the Family Law Section first and establishing the model others quickly followed.