Shelter Island Reporter obituary: Anita Marija Tichomirova Goldsmith Allen

Anita Allen died on Aug. 11 in Warren, R.I. surrounded by family at age 82. 

“Neet” was born in Varnava, Latvia on Feb. 1, 1943, during World War II. After leaving her rural roots at age 2, a four-year journey ultimately brought her to the suburbs of New York City, where she lived with a foster family for two years and was then adopted at age 8. There she trained as a classical ballerina, eventually touring Europe with the Westchester Ballet Company. She also spent time skiing, hiking, and rock climbing in upstate New York and Alaska.

She met Donald Linn Allen while working in a medical photography lab in New York City and they married in 1971, bought property on Shelter Island, and built a home here on Gardiner’s Bay. While a resident on the Island, Anita volunteered at Shelter Island School and for the Presbyterian Church. She was one of the founders of the Shelter Island Friends of Music. 

She and her husband produced tourist maps of the Island via aerial photography before the advent of GPS, with Anita painstakingly tracing the roads and myriad inlets from overlapping photos taken at 10,000 feet. They professionally photographed the annual Shelter Island 10K race. For many years, Anita stayed up late to process film for the Reporter in the Allens’ home darkroom. She was an expert photo re-toucher in the days when this task required ink and a fine-tipped brush. 

Anita and Don moved to northern New Hampshire when he retired, where they continued to be active in music, photography, and general aviation. She also enjoyed hiking in the White Mountains and worked as the florist at the Mount Washington Hotel. After Don died in 2004, Anita moved south to be closer to her grandchildren in Massachusetts and her cousins on Cape Cod. Near the end of her life, she lived for half a decade in eastern Rhode Island, a short drive from her daughter, Krista Allen of Westport, Mass. 

Besides dance, photography, and drawing, Anita enjoyed sailing, as well as identifying birds, flowers, and wild edibles. She also loved word games and jigsaw puzzles. She made many close friendships later in life via her favorite hobby of letterboxing.

She is survived by two daughters, three stepdaughters, five grandchildren, and three step-granddaughters. 

Memorial donations in lieu of flowers may be made to: Rise Alliance for Children (rise-children.org), or Mass Audubon (massaudubon.org).