/D atcicia Allen spent the last 26 hours of her life surrounded by family and friends. In the end, she died just as she had lived ~ full of love and peace. Today her legacy of love is being carried on by the man who loved her the most. — her husband of 38 years, Walt Allen. “She was a wonderful, wonderful person and I miss her every day,” says ‘Walt, who serves as the mayor of Covina. Walt cherishes his memories of his wife and is sharing those memories with others by continuing her work and support of numerous community organizations and charities. At the top of his list is Citrus Valley Hospice — the place where they said their final goodbyes. “Through my work with the city I had known about Hospice for years, plus we had many friends who had volunteered there,” Walt says. Yet, he couldn't ever have imagined just how important Citrus Valley Hospice ‘would become to him and his family. Pat Allen was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer in March 2004. She fought long and hard against the disease and always maintained a positive attitude. She was still undergoing chemotherapy when the couple learned she was eligible to A legacy of love Covina Mayor Wait Allen thanks the crowd for attending the Dare To Care cut-a-thon on August 28, receive palliative hospice care through her insurance. Walt says they were very grateful for the many different services it provided. One of those services was respite care in the inpatient unit on Phillips Avenue in ‘West Covina. Arrangements were made to take Pat to the inpatient unit on a temporary basis. Only after she was admitted, ‘Wale and his son got the devastating news from the doctor that Pat only had hours left to live. “When we went in there, we didn’t know it would be the worst-case scenario,” he recalls. Immediately, the Hospice staff did everything it could for the family. Visitors were welcomed at all hours and everyone was treated with kindness and compassion, Pat Allen passed away in her husband's arms on May 19, 2009, at the age of 57. “There are no words to describe the entire experience,” Walt says. “I truly believe she couldn't have received any better care anywhere else. The staff — they were just tremendous.” ‘Walt was so impressed by Hospice he knew he wanted to do something in return ~ he just didn’t know what yet. ‘Then one day while Walt was getting a haircut at Tantrum Salon in Covina, stylist Albert Cortez talked to him. about the idea of having a cut-a-thon fund-raiser in memory of Pat. He knew it was the perfect way to honor his wife and raise money for Citrus Valley Hospice. Through a partnership between Tantrum Salon, the city of Covina, the Covina Chamber of Commerce and Citrus Valley Health Partners, the Dare To Care cut-a-thon was held on August 28. It was such a success that Walt is planning to make it an annual event. “What makes Mayor Allen so extraordinary is that he walked away from his experience wanting to help others,” says Marianne Schultz, COO See A legacy of love, page 2 >