HARTFORD, Conn. – David Charles Allen, of West Hartford, Conn., 77, died Friday, June 16, at Hartford Hospital.

He grew up in the Lewiston-Auburn area. He graduated from the University of Maine with a BS degree in mechanical engineering in 1950. He was a professional engineer for his entire work career which spanned more than 55 years.

Among his peers, he was especially known for his highly ethical standards and was an instrumental figure in the local HVAC industry. His work led him through manufacturing and development, applications engineering, contracting, and consulting. He was among the first to write computer software for building systems design applications. For more than 22 years he ran his own engineering firm before merging his practice in 1999 with van Zelm Heywood & Shadford, Inc. of West Hartford, retiring this past March.

He was a contributor to the formation of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) in the late 1950s. In 1959, he became the first Connecticut Chapter President and before his death was the last remaining member of the founding charter and by-laws committee.

In the early 1980s he joined ASHRAE’s “Transportation Air Conditioning” technical committee and served as chairman from 1990 to 1992. In 1984, he was awarded ASHRAE’s Member of the Year Award, in 1994 he was awarded life’ membership, and in 2004 was recognized for 50 years of service.

He was a member of the First Baptist Church of West Hartford, where he had served as chairman of the board of trustees, chairman of the general board, as well as being a member of many special committees. He also volunteered for many years to “Math Counts” which seeks to promote math skills among junior and high School students. He was a tried and true Red Sox fan, enjoyed supporting the UConn basketball teams, was an avid reader and adept at crossword puzzles.

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Jean F. Allen; his two older sisters, Margaret Bertocci of Arrowsic and Martha Irvine of Portland; his three children, Judith Allen of West Hartford, Charles Allen of Tallahassee, Fla., and Edward Allen of Canton; and his two grandchildren, Sarah and Nicholas Allen.