Robert Allen

Bob was born in Brooklyn, NY, to Beatrice Schaen and George Allen on Nov. 2, 1942. He attended Madison H.S. where he was told he’d never be accepted to any college.

He lived by the mantra, ‘Don’t ever tell me I can’t.’ He proved them all wrong, getting accepted on a football scholarship to the University of Miami. And accepted to whatever college to which he applied. He attended the University of Miami for the first year, and after being carried off the field in the first game, returned to Brooklyn to complete his undergraduate degree at Brooklyn College.

He continued there for his first Masters Degree in Elementary Education and went on for a second degree in Guidance and Counseling from SUNY in Stonybrook, L.I.

He loved law and order and before he and Ronnie met in 1972, he was a police officer in Brooklyn, where he achieved the highest grades in the police academy, though only serving 10 months in the field. He told Ronnie that he couldn’t bear to have to pull his weapon to shoot.

He entered elementary school education and taught for a few years until obtaining his Masters Degree, and then in 1974 entered the NYS Dept. Of Labor, being a counselor for the WIN program and then Unemployment Insurance.

He retired and then went back to substitute teaching until Ronnie retired.

Living in Florida since 2008, he continued his passions: the gym, and swimming. And like himself, he instilled the love, passion and obsession of physical fitness into his son, David, his only child.

Bob loved volunteering and being in the classroom and his greatest pleasure in Florida was the 5 years he volunteered as a mentor for Take Stock in Children.

Bob is survived by his wife of 49 years, Ronnie, and his only son, David, age 44, and his sister Jane.

In lieu of flowers, if you’d like to make a donation in Bob’s memory, please do so at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital or Shriners Hospital for Children

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.ferofuneralhome.com for the Allen family.