Snippet: Gary Allen Passes Away ☇

Many people knew Gary Allen for his site, ifo Apple Store, which wrapped up in March to allow him to spend more time with friends and family (it was linked a number of times here). It may seem sort of silly to focus your writing on one very specific area, but there was so much that went into the Apple Stores and it also served as a way for people to learn about Apple’s main presence in many communities.

He offered a lot of insightful information over the years, and was just an all-around great guy, taking time to respond to many emails and tweets and share his love of Apple’s retail operation with others. He’d share tips and rumors about new or larger stores coming, which was always exciting, especially for someone living in the Midwest where new Apple Stores as a bit less rare.

Allen lost a battle with brain cancer on Sunday at the age of 67. After seeing the headline, my knee-jerk reaction was that the initial diagnosis was the real reason for shutting down the site, and his brother confirmed it. My thoughts are with his friends and family.