William Blair Allen's Obituary
William Blair Allen, Sr. died yesterday at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis at the age 81. Mr. Allen attended Central High School and graduated from Southwestern at Memphis, now Rhodes College, receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics in 1953. At school, Mr. Allen enjoyed many sports, including both football and baseball. After his graduation, he earned a black belt in judo. Mr. Allen loved to camp, backpack, and mountain climb. He acted as Scoutmaster for his sons’ Boy Scout troop. In 1951, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps Platoon Leaders class. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve as Battalion Equipment Officer for the Eighth Engineer Battalion attached to the Second Marine Division, where he was in charge of all equipment and constructed experimental air strips in Veages, Puerto Rico and at Cherry Point, North Carolina. He was honorably discharged with the rank of Captain in l960. Returning from the Marines, Mr. Allen took over the operation of his father’s business, Allen Ready-Mix. Over the years, he would expand it to include Allen Sand and Gravel, Allen Block, and, eventually, Allen Materials — one of the largest building materials businesses in the Mid-South. In the early 1980s, Mr. Allen turned to the consulting business, founding Allen and Associates, a firm that advised and valuated ready-mixed concrete and building materials businesses. In 2001, he co-founded Allen-Villiere Partners, an industry consulting firm. In 2011, Mr. Allen was named an “Industry Influencer” by The Concrete Producer, a trade magazine for the ready-mixed concrete industry. In 1981, Mr. Allen served as a chairman of the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association which, in 2006, created the William B. Allen Award to recognize an industry leader who made a significant contribution in elevating the business acumen of the ready mixed concrete industry. Mr. Allen is survived by his wife, Dorothy Santos Allen, his four sons, William Allen, Jr., Richard Allen, James Allen, John Allen and eight grandchildren. The family will receive friends on Wednesday, March 28th, from 6:00–7:00 at Memorial Park Funeral Home. A funeral service will be held on Thursday, the 29th, at 1:00 PM, with a visitation one hour prior, also at Memorial Park. Burial will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery, 5668 Poplar Ave. Memphis, TN 38119, (901)767-8930, “Behind the Stone Wall”.
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