Kenneth Richard Allen

Kenneth Richard Allen passed away on November 16, 2022 at his home in Phoenix, Arizona; he was aged 96. Kenneth was born in Glasgow, Kentucky on July 2, 1926, in the grocery store where his parents, Leon and Goldie Mae Allen, worked. The youngest of five children, he spent much of his childhood traveling with his parents for work during the Great Depression. Though Owensboro, KY was his homebase, Kenneth also lived in Nashville, Evansville, and St. Louis for part of each year until he completed eighth grade. He then started high school in Owensboro where he was a proud member of the Junior ROTC. Some of his fondest memories involved skipping school to catch Cardinals games (Knot Hole Gang) in St. Louis and selling newspapers for the St Louis Post-Dispatch, and his teenage years when he lived and worked with his beloved uncle Wendell Foster in Owensboro. During WWII Kenneth and his mother both worked as riveters in Evansville, where he worked the assembly line in the production of P-47 Thunderbolt fighter planes as his contribution to the war effort. Kenneth moved out to Phoenix in 1947 to join his brother Shelton and sister-in-law Jane and his parents, and the city would become his home for the remainder of his life. Not long after the move, he met his beloved wife Grace, whom he married in 1949. They were together for 73 years, and until the end of his life Kenneth was known to proudly pull out the wedding portrait that he kept in his wallet to show anyone who wanted to see. The photo features Grace “jokingly” threatening him with a rolling pin, which we assure you is far funnier in picture than in print. While Kenneth held several jobs in his life, working for Murphy Beverage, Del Webb, Reynolds Aluminum, and as custodian of Frank Borman Junior High School, it was in his roles as husband, father, and grandfather that he most shined. He was known for his loving kindness, humility, and generosity. He was always present for his children and grandchildren, giving with his time and resources, and earnestly delighted in the happiness of others. He took joy in life’s simple pleasures: baseball games with his children, sitting with Grace and his granddaughters out on the swing, and leading singing at church. In addition to his devotion to his family, Ken was a devoted Christian and a member of Maryvale Church of Christ and later Camelback Church of Christ. Kenneth is survived by his wife, Grace; his three children, Kenneth (Renate) Allen Jr., James (Kellie) Allen, and Karen McVey; and his granddaughters, Kelly McVey, Claire McVey, Torrey (J David) Lind, and Lena Allen. They will all dearly miss him. A memorial service will be held at Camelback Church of Christ on Wednesday, December 28 at 11:00 am.