Don C. Allen

Remembering Our Dad

Let us tell you about our dad.  It all started on Thursday, November 4, 1948, when our grandparents, Isaiah and Lillie Allen welcomed their baby, our dad, Don Carlos Allen, into the world. Dad told us he was a picky eater growing up and would only eat certain foods, mostly junk food.  He said one day he was at Our Lady of Lords Elementary School and it was lunch time, and he didn't like what was on the menu.  Dad said that he actually walked all the way home by himself, made himself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Needless to say, our grandparents were surprised to see him there when they got home from work. 

Dad graduated from St. Mel High School in Chicago, Ill.  Following high school Dad went to Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas and absolutely loved the school and Houston, Texas. It was there that he met lifelong friends. We would even drive down from Chicago every other summer to Dallas to visit his college buddy James Pennick.

Following school Dad returned home to Chicago, Illinois. We remember him working at Proctor and Gamble and later Frito Lay. However, Dad found his true calling working as an elementary school librarian starting at Donahugue Elementary School and later at Pullman Elementary School. Yes, our father was a hardworking man from Chicago. However, he was all about his family. He loved sports, especially football, basketball and baseball. His favorite teams were The White Sox, The Bears, and The Bulls. He also started to like the Houston Texans. He loved to ‘talk’ sports… salary caps, free agency, etc. Dad was a self-proclaimed 

expert. Dad also had a love for music, especially old classics. His favorite group was The Temptations. We remember while growing up Dad had record albums. Every weekend he would be in the basement playing his records which could be heard all through the house. Believe it or not, Dad had to have over 2,000 records! If nothing else, that shows how much he loved music.

There were so many fun times we had with Dad when we were growing up. One of Donn’s favorite childhood memories of Dad was playing catch with the baseball and gloves with him in the backyard. They would play all day long until it got dark to help Donn get his skills down since he played baseball at school. Donn remembers him being at all his baseball and basketball games and sometimes recording them on the camcorder. That was Dad, he loved his family and spending time with them.

On Friday, October 25, 2024, Dad gained his wings. There are so many great memories we have of our dad.  He loved eating the tips of fried chicken wings. He enjoyed watching Love is Blind, Greys Anatomy, Abott Elementary.  He also enjoyed old movies like Cooley High and School Daze. He wanted the best for us and would remind us that a mind is a terrible thing to waste. Dad admired the strength, courage and determination of Malcom X. We loved our dad and will always remember him as a ‘family first man’ who didn't take disrespect from anybody. We will often reflect on these and many other precious memories, his children: Don Oliphant of Duluth, Minnesota, Donn (Kimberly) Allen of Houston, Texas; sister, Patricia Allen of Chicago, Illinois, and grandchildren, Khalia, Malina, Lashonda, along with many other family members, friends and loved ones.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Don C. Allen, please visit our floral store.