Gary Allen, the man behind ifo Apple Store, dies age 67

Gary Allen, the man who tracked the launch of Apple Stores around the world for his much-loved website, ifo Apple Store, has died from brain cancer at age 67.

The sad news surfaced in an article published earlier today by The Washington Post. The piece, which rightly describes Allen as “Apple’s biggest fan,” notes that Gary died on Sunday.

Allen halted work on his Apple Store-focused blog, ifo Apple Store, back in March. At present, the blog is no longer functioning; instead, a small message reading “Please come back later” is displayed. There are no links to the blog’s previously published content. When announcing the closure of ifo Apple Store, Allen explained:

So, I’m going to focus on my family and friends, drop the demands of writing and get back to what it was before—just fun.

For ifo Apple Store, Allen travelled around the world, visiting Apple’s retail locations and reporting on the launch of new stores. Often, Allen’s articles (and Twitter updates) would provide readers with a unique insight into the detail behind Apple’s brick-and-mortar locations. As The Washington Post explains, Allen even once visited the Utah factory which makes Apple Store tables “to say thanks.”

Gary Allen.

It’s a sad day for the Apple community. Gary Allen will be missed.