These are some of the Tributes the family has received about Courtenay.

From an OOCL Customer:

"The twinkle in Courtenay’s eye betrayed his clever wit, and he approached all dealings with enthusiasm and straight-forwardness. Courtenay’s passing will leave all of us poorer—yet richer for having known him."

From a colleague in the US:

"Courtenay was a gentleman among gentlemen and a leader among leaders and I will sorely miss his gentle and caring style. His sharp English wit along with that grin and laugh that instantly told you he was sincere..... and will forever be ingrained in my memory."

From another colleague in the US:

"I first met Courtenay 10 years ago when I joined OOCL and have had numerous contacts during those years. Many people told me I would enjoy meeting Courtenay and learning from his vast experiences in the Trans Atlantic Trade. What I learned would make a very long list but the most important thing now is that I learned what a fully established and engaging person Courtenay was. He was fair, he shared experience and knowledge and he was always fun to work with.

When I first heard of your loss I had to take more than a few minutes to even be able to comprehend that he was gone. The world for those of us that worked with him was better due to his leadership. Our world now will remain constant due to his influence which will remain. Please know that I think that would be important to him. We shared a part of Courtenay and will miss him very much. "

From a London OOCL Colleague:

"Courtenay was our ambassador, our leader, or simply the oracle. His knowledge of the Atlantic was second to none ­ as was his drive and enthusiasm for OOCL to excel and be the best in the industry. There are many fitting words we could use to describe Courtenay, but none sufficient to capture the feelings of his London team. Courtenay was “The Boss”, our mentor, and the epitome of a Gentleman in the truest sense of the word. But more than that, Courtenay was a dear friend and colleague. He had time for anyone and everyone. At any time you could walk into his office for guidance on that difficult rate request, or which regions cargo to roll ­ but if need be, you could just ask for the benefit of his life experience and sound judgement. He was always ready, willing and able to help however he could. That, we will all truly miss. Courtenay was the most personable of men. Sadly missed, and never to be replaced."

Taca chairman Olav Rakkenes who described him as one of the pioneers of Taca, said:

"This is tragic, he will definitely be missed."

Michael Jordan, the former chief executive of Canada Maritime who had known Mr Allan since he was a 19-year-old recruit at Bristol City Line, described him as,

"One of transatlantic container shipping's intelligentsia.”

The industry "will miss his wisdom", continued Mr Jordan who, at one stage, was Courtenay’s boss at OOCL.