Allan Paul Mellis

OBITUARY

Allan Mellis died peacefully at Illinois Masonic Hospital on Sunday, April 26th, 2026, from complications of a stroke suffered five years ago. He was eighty-one years old.

Allan Paul Mellis was born on December 11, 1944, to Harry Mellis and Ada (Raiffa) Mellis. Originally from the Bronx, New York, Allan grew up in Flushing Meadows, Queens.

Allan attended the State University of New York at Buffalo, graduating in 1965 with a B.A. in mathematics, with distinction. In 1967, Allan received a M.S. in computer science from Purdue University.

After graduation from Purdue, Allan took a job with IBM, where he worked for the next 25 years. Initially based in White Plains, Allan soon transferred to Chicago, where he was to reside for the rest of his life. While at IBM, he wrote a memo that led to creation of IBM’s desktop publishing department, of which he was the first employee.

Shortly after moving to Chicago, Allan got involved with the Wrightwood Neighbors Association. He joined the WNA board in 1974 – serving as planning chair from 1974–76 and president from 1976–78 – and remained on the board for over 50 years. Allan helped to start the Taste of Lincoln Avenue street festival, which has served as a model for similar events around the city. Allan also founded the Friends of the Lincoln Park Library, spearheading a successful campaign for a new branch of the Chicago Public Library. Allan served for many years as a member of DePaul University’s Neighborhood Advisory Committee. He was known as “the mayor of Lincoln Park”. Allan’s community papers are archived at the DePaul library, filling 93 boxes.

In 1996, after retiring from IBM, he joined the Forest Preserve District of Cook County as Director of Planning and Development. He managed projects such as the renovation of Whealan Pool and the construction of the Little Red School House Nature Center. He retired from the Forest Preserve in 2010.

Allan was a passionate collector of ice cream memorabilia, accumulating more than 30,000 items during his lifetime. A portion of his collection has been on display at the Museum of Science and Industry for over fifty years. In 1982, Allan co-founded the Ice Screamers, an association of ice cream collectors. He was known as “Mr. Ice Cream”.

Allan is survived by his wife, Linda Polacheck Mellis; their two sons, David and Daniel; David’s wife Dena Molnar and their children Oren and Louisa; Daniel’s wife April Sheridan and their son Samuel; and his sister Marilyn Longman.