Catholic philanthropist Allen Lund died April 7 at his home surrounded by family and friends following a brief battle with cancer. He was 77.
“Allen was a fine husband, father, grandfather and friend,” said Archbishop José H. Gomez. “Before everything else, he was a man of deep faith and he made a lasting difference in the life of the Catholic Church here in Los Angeles. We are all going to miss him very much. I am praying for Kathie and his family.”
Along with his wife, Kathie, Lund was a generous supporter of many institutions and causes in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for nearly 50 years.
He and Kathie were organizers of the annual Los Angeles Catholic Prayer Breakfast and were active in the Right to Life League of Southern California. They also served as co-chairs of the Cardinal’s Awards Dinner.
Lund served on the Archdiocesan Finance Council, the board of St. John’s Seminary and the Catholic Education Foundation. He was also a trustee of St. Francis High School and established a scholarship program for students there and for students at Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy. Lund also supported Verbum Dei High School in Los Angeles and Homeboy Industries.
Originally from Salt Lake City, Lund moved to Southern California in 1969, where he founded Allen Lund Co. Today, the company provides freight brokerage and forwarding services and software nationwide.
He encouraged his employees to community service and philanthropy. In 2016, he and his employees challenged themselves to go out into the community and commit 40 acts of kindness to celebrate the company’s 40th anniversary.
Employees worked with women’s shelters, local homeless communities and disaster relief efforts. It has since become an annual tradition for the company.
Lund was awarded the Papal Honor of Knight Commander in the Order of the Knights of St. Gregory and was also named a Knight in Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem in acknowledgment of his service to the Church.
Lund is survived by his wife and their six children, along with 22 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
