Allan R. Prevette

Allan Roy Prevette passed away peacefully at his home in Camarillo on the evening of September 16, 2021 while surrounded by his family.

Allan was born on May 10, 1940 in San Francisco to William Prevette and Pearl King. His childhood was a nomadic one, moving from one Northern California town to another. Thanks to his sister, LaRoe, Allan found a home for his four years attending Oroville High School where he graduated in 1957. 

Just barely seventeen, Allan enlisted in the Navy as a Seaman Recruit. Once he got to boot camp in San Diego, however, his aptitude test results propelled him into a career in aviation. He would often joke that he could not be called a sailor because he had never served aboard a ship! From earning the first of his many Air Medals as a crewman who rescued 58 passengers and crew on a Northwest Orient flight to serving as a flight engineer with reconnaissance squadron VQ-1, to his last duty station at Point Mugu as Maintenance Master Chief Petty Officer for the Antarctic Development Squadron Six (VXE-6) that supported the National Science Foundation conducting research of the Antarctic continent, “Putt,” as his Navy buddies would call him, proudly served for 22 years, retiring in 1979.

Not only did the Navy provide him with invaluable experience and education in avionics, but more importantly, he made numerous lifelong friends and enjoyed countless adventures throughout the world. In the fall of 1963, while stationed at Atsugi Air Base in Japan, Allan began his greatest adventure when he met Kazuko Goto, the woman to whom he credited with every good thing that had happened to him. They were married in 1967 and then moved to Quonset Point, Rhode Island, where their only daughter, Susan, was born in 1968.

He parlayed his vast military experience into a second career at Litton Aero Products in Woodland Hills for almost 15 years, where he traveled the world outfitting airlines with navigation systems and continued his education, first receiving his AA at Oxnard College and then at the University of Laverne where he ultimately earned his MBA.

After retiring from Litton, Allan and Kazuko moved from Oxnard to Paradise, California where they enjoyed tending their fruit trees, RV’ing, and hosting their granddaughter, Daphne, for holidays and summer vacations. After the birth of their second granddaughter, Talia, in 2003, they moved back to Ventura County where Allan embarked on his third career -- that of full-time doting grandpa. He loved being a grandfather and never missed attending one of his granddaughters’ games, piano recitals, theater performances, hula shows, awards assemblies, flag competitions, birthday parties and graduations. An accomplished chef, “Jiichan '' would spoil his grandkids with homemade birthday cakes, biscuits, and Korean kalbi ribs while logging many miles chauffeuring them to and from school and to their many activities.

Besides spending time with his family, Allan also enjoyed many rounds of golf and volunteering with his VQ-1 Squadron Association. He served many years as the group’s president, organizing annual reunions across the country, publishing the organization’s newsletters and directories, and swapping sea stories with his friends.

Allan is survived by his wife of 54 years, Kazuko, daughter Susan and son-in-law, Edward Sajor, granddaughters Daphne and Talia, granddog Manju, sister LaRoe Moak, brother William Prevette, and three nephews.

Graveside services and a Celebration of Life (please, no black! Alohawear is encouraged)  will be held on Friday, October 15, 2021 at Conejo Mountain Memorial Park in Camarillo at 2:00 pm. A livestream of the services will be online at https://youtu.be/mRZnnb5k54s.

High Flight

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, – and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of – wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air…

Up, up the long, delirious burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or ever eagle flew –
And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

...Family in the care of Erin Arteaga, Funeral Director