WOODSTOCK, Ga. — David Solomon Allen of Marietta, Ga., passed away after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s Disease.

When he passed, he was a nonagenarian having celebrated his 90th birthday on March 24 with friends and family.

Born in Yantley, Ala., to the late George W. and Maggie Kelly Allen on a family farm, he and his family moved to Meridian in the mid 1930s during the Great Depression. There, he spent weekends at the family farm, loved to watch the western movies of John Wayne and learned to play his beloved sport of football.

After graduation, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps and was deployed to the Pacific Theater, stationed in Hong Kong after Imperial Japan’s surrender.

Returning to the U.S., he attended Mississippi State University and played football for the Bulldogs. He transferred to University of Southern Mississippi to play football for coach Thad Vann and his Golden Eagles, receiving recognition for his sportsmanship including being selected for the all-conference team each year.

After graduation, he chose to pursue his lifelong dream of coaching and joined the public school system teaching and coaching in Mississippi Big 8 schools. He also came to admire the sport of track and field eventually being recognized as coach of the year for the southeastern region in 1968 when he coached the winning track and field team at Natchez-Adams High School in Natchez.

He retired from the school system in 1974 and began a career with the state park system in Mississippi until his retirement in 1984, taking up residence in New Hope, near Columbus, until moving to Marietta in 2011

He is survived by his younger brother, Gerald Allen and wife Vergie of Granada Hills, Calif.; his wife of 59 years, Sallye; and his five children, daughter Janet Allen, sons Kevin Allen and Lance Allen, daughter Annalyn Kelly and her husband Brian, and son David Allen and his wife Mindy.

He leaves behind his grandchildren, Nicole Allen and Mandy Austin, as well as grandchildren Christopher, William and Ashlyne Austin of Moss Point.

David was a loving father, husband and Christian. He loved his family, God and football. He was most proud of the achievements of his children and those of the many outstanding athletes he had the honor to coach. He will be missed.

A special thank you is extended by David and his family to the wonderful caring staff of Sunrise at East Cobb and to his hospice team, Gentiva Hospice, for all your care and kindness during this long difficult journey.

In lieu of flowers, he and his family ask that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Visitation will be Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 pm at Poole Funeral Home.

A graveside service will be 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at Georgia National Cemetery with the Rev. Larry Baker officiating and Poole Funeral Home directing. 

Online condolences may be made at www.poolefuneralhome.net