SHORT PUMP—Allen Clark Marple, 88, passed peacefully at his residence in Short Pump on Sunday, September 7, 2025. A devoted husband, Allen was predeceased by his beloved wife of 62 years, Joan Manson Marple.
In his own words, Allen experienced a remarkable and “unexpected life.” Born to William Marple and Jean Sutherland in Norwalk, Conn., Allen shared many happy memories of his younger years living in Connecticut with his brother and three sisters, and of the summers they spent together in Vermont. Allen was always active in his youth, and was particularly proud of being selected by his teammates to serve as captain of his football team at St. Lukes School.
Allen attended Cornell University where he met his wife, Joan, and graduated in 1959 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. Following a brief stint in the U.S. Air Force Aviation Cadet Training program, Allen and Joan were married in East Williston, N.Y., in 1960.
Allen’s impressive professional career spanned some 40 years, during which he worked in a wide range of financial institutions and executive roles, moving his family to three different countries in the process. His significant business achievements included leadership roles in corporate and investment banking, aviation finance, global merchant banking, international capital markets, and investment funds management. His professional endeavors quite literally took him around the world, culminating in travels to more than 80 countries.
Throughout his career, Allen shared these global adventures with his beloved wife, “Joanie,” and their three sons. Traveling the world and living much of their lives as expatriates, Allen and Joan became increasingly engaged in the arts world, sharing their love of ballet, theater, and the dramatic arts with family and friends. For Allen, the arts offered a natural intersection of his financial and leadership skills with his passion for the arts. Volunteering in many roles, Allen actively supported the arts with his skills in corporate fundraising, his considerable experience in board membership, and in the prudent management and growth of endowment funds. Among his many non-profit volunteer leadership endeavors, Allen was particularly grateful for the opportunity to actively support The National Ballet of Canada for more than a decade, culminating in his role as chairman.
Allen much preferred to engage in his many interests in the company of family and friends. These included his love for cooking and cuisine, global travel, supporting the arts, promoting education, studying history, and embracing culture. Each were passions engendered in his early years, and cultivated throughout his life with so many of whom he was grateful to meet along his life’s journey.
A beloved husband, father, son, brother, grandfather, colleague, and friend, Allen is survived by his three sons, William (Joanne), David (Janet) and Daniel (Meaghan); and his seven grandchildren.
Allen and Joan were former residents of Lancaster County, where they resided for more than 20 years. During their many happy years spent in the Northern Neck, Allen was honored to serve as president of the Rappahannock Foundation for the Arts, as a director of the Bay Trust Company, and as a director of the Chesapeake Academy Foundation.
A private funeral service for Allen’s family will be held at a later date at his place of burial in Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Allen’s memory to the following institutions which he actively supported: National Ballet of Canada, national.ballet.ca; The Rappahannock Foundation for the Arts, rappahannockfoundation.org; or The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, vmfa.museum.
