Dr. Hansel W. Allen, Jr., 74, of Chula died Wednesday, March 9, 2011, at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 12, 2011, in the Sanctuary of Tifton’s First Baptist Church. Dr. Wayne Roe will officiate with burial to follow in Oak Ridge Cemetery. Doug Underwood, Russ Underwood, Josh Haley, Reese Haley, Jamie Allen and Floyd Moon will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Harold Abbott, Scott Chestnutwood, Marianna Keesee, Betty Newkirk, Patrick Atwater, Albert Gibbs, Rosemary Alexander, Myrtle Lofton, Ernestine Clark, Bill Daniell, administrators and teachers of Tift County Schools and members of the BOCH Sunday school class of Tifton’s First Baptist Church. The family will receive friends in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals on Saturday, March 12, 2011, from 9:30 a.m. until the hour of the service.
Dr. Allen was born on February 21, 1937 in Tifton and was the son of Hansel W. Allen, Sr. and Helen Thrasher Allen, both deceased. He held a Ph.D. in Education Administration and was a retired educator from the Tift County Board of Education. He was a member of Tifton’s First Baptist Church. He grew up in Tifton, moved away for 13 tears, and moved back to the Chula area in 1972.
Dr. Allen is survived by his wife, Janice King Allen of Chula; two daughters and one son-in-law, Rebecca Lee of Orange Park, Florida and Heidi and Al Burns of Chula; one brother and sister-in-law, Jimmy and Quay Allen of Adel; one sister and brother-in-law, Shirley and Larry Underwood of Chula; and five grandchildren, Amber R. Lee, Sarah A. Lee, Theresa L. Lee, Stephen A. Lee II and Haley G. Burns.
Flowers will be accepted or memorial gifts may be made to Forward in Faith Building Fund at Tifton’s First Baptist Church, 404 Love Avenue, Tifton, GA 31794; or the Tifton-Tift County Arts Council, c/o Wayne Jones, ABAC Arts Connection, ABAC 45, 2802 Moore Highway, Tifton, GA 31793.