Obituary: ​Dr. Allen Heyd, 88, Of Norwalk

Information via Collins Funeral Home

Dr. Allen Heyd, 88, husband of Barbara Heyd and longtime resident of Norwalk, passed away at his home and surrounded by his family on Sunday, December 17, 2023.

Allen was born on May 27, 1935 in Leola, South Dakota to the late Eugene and Martha Loebs Heyd, and grew up in LaMoure, North Dakota. Allen joined the Navy after high school and served as a Medical Corpsman stationed in Saint Albans Naval Hospital in Queens, New York. He earned a master’s degree from Columbia University and a PhD in Pharmacology from Purdue University and taught Pharmacy at the University of Connecticut.

Allen later embarked on a 30-year career in medical research at Richardson-Vicks in Westchester, New York and at Bayer Pharmaceuticals in West Haven, Connecticut. He worked internationally on research to develop the antibiotics Ciprofloxacin and Avelox. After retirement, he founded a medical writing consultancy with his daughter and worked as an English language editor for several universities in Vietnam. He was an active volunteer in the Norwalk community, serving as President of both the Norwalk High School Father’s Club and the Norwalk Seaport Association where he spearheaded a campaign to fund and restore the Sheffield Island Lighthouse.

Most recently, Allen was a member of the Institutional Review Board for clinical trials at Norwalk Hospital.

Allen is survived by his wife of 65 years Barbara, his daughter Norris Suzanne Carlson and her husband Peter of Eastsound, Washington, by brother Ronald Heyd and his wife Marlene of LaMoure, North Dakota, and by many beloved nieces, nephews and lifetime friends.

Allen was predeceased by brother Norman Heyd of LaMoure, North Dakota and brother LeRoy Heyd of Shelton, Washington.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, December 22, at 11 a.m. at The Greens at Cannondale, 435 Danbury Road in Wilton, CT.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in honor of Allen to RVNAhealth hospice at RVNAhealth.org or to RVNAhealth, 27 Governors Street, Ridgefield CT 06877.