John Ellis Allen

Dr. John Ellis Allen, 90, of Williamsburg, Virginia, passed away on April 12, 2019, in Williamsburg, Virginia. He was born on Dec. 11, 1928, in Dothan, Alabama to Ellis and Cleo Allen.

John graduated from high school in Dothan, Alabama. He attended the College of Music of Cincinnati, where he received a certificate in piano, the University of Cincinnati where he received a degree of Bachelor of Science in Education, Miami University (Oxford) where he received a degree of Master of Science in Education and The Ohio State University, where he received a degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

John served in the Army with the 899th Anti-aircraft Artillery Battalion 28th Infantry Division in Germany from January 1953 to June 1954.

John's career included school music teacher (Lewisburg); Superintendent of Monroe Township Schools (Ohio); Deputy School Superintendent (Newark, Delaware); Area School Superintendent New Castle County (Delaware); Superintendent Williamsburg-James City County Schools (Williamsburg, Virginia); and Executive Director of The Governor's School for the Arts (Norfolk, Virginia).

John's special interests included music, travel, reading and genealogy. He sang in the Williamsburg Choral Guild for more than 10 years and he and his wife, Helen, were frequent attendees at Virginia Opera and chamber music programs. For a number of years they traveled to New York City to attend the Metropolitan Opera, New York Philharmonic concerts and concerts at Carnegie Hall. They also enjoyed traveling throughout the United States, Europe, China and Egypt. John was an avid reader; he particularly enjoyed reading biographies of American political figures, especially U.S. presidents, as well as those of business and industrial personalities.

John married Helen Kreitzer in 1955 in Lewisburg. They were happily married for 64 years. He is survived by his wife, Helen, (Williamsburg, Virginia) and two children; Barbara (Henrico, Virginia) and David (Williamsburg, Virginia); grandchildren Helen, John and Joshua; great-grandchildren Benjamin and Jeffrey; and nephew Ray Allen (Tuscaloosa, Alabama).

John was a member of St. Stephen Lutheran Church in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Family and friends are invited to attend a memorial service at Trinity Lutheran Church, 511 North Commerce St., Lewisburg, OH 45338 at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, May 18, 2019. A reception will follow after the service.

His remains will be interred at the conveniece of the family in Sugar Grove Cemetery, Twin Twp., Preble County, OH. Arrangement Entrusted to Barnes Funeral Home, Lewisburg, OH.

For those who wish to make a memorial contribution, please consider St. Stephen Lutheran Church, 612 Jamestown Road, Williamsburg, VA 23185 or The Governor's School for the Arts, 254 Granby St, Norfolk, VA 23510, https://www.gsarts.org/donate