Jack "Eddie" Edward Allen

Jack Edward “Eddie” Allen, 79, of Knoxville, Tennessee passed away on June 11, 2022. A good man with a generous heart, Eddie always looked at you with a smile and a wink, ready with a story or a helping hand. His loss will be felt deeply by his family and his countless friends.

Eddie was born on September 10, 1942, and during his childhood he was active in the outdoors and the boy scouts, working his way up to Eagle Scout. He was proud to be a member of Knoxville Catholic High School’s class of 1960 and went on to attend the University of Tennessee. During summers, he worked his way through school by running the Cider Barn on Clinton Highway.

After graduating in 1965, Eddie taught high school in the Knoxville City school system, but in his spare time he loved woodworking and making cabinets in his home shop. A proud father who was active in his community, Eddie spent several years as athletic director for Claxton, where he enjoyed coaching his daughters’ softball teams and his son’s basketball and football teams. He eventually left the teaching profession and turned his woodworking hobby into a career as a small business owner of a cabinet shop.

Eddie’s Catholic faith played a central role in his life. He was a supporter of the Paulist Fathers and an active member of Immaculate Conception parish where he attended daily mass. It was there at IC that he met the love of his life, Sonia. They married in 2017, and it was Eddie’s biggest regret that they hadn’t found each other sooner.

Eddie had many hobbies, including beekeeping, dancing with Sonia, and collecting antique cars, but his true passion was helping others. A genuinely kind man, throughout his life he helped countless friends and strangers in any way he could. He was deeply loved by his family, his friends, and his community and we will miss him and love him forever.

Eddie was preceded in death by his parents, Frances Jane Bibb and Jack Allen. He is survived by his loving wife, Sonia Allen; his sisters, Mary Jane Waggoner and Kathryn (Bobby) Waggoner; his children, Melissa (Rodney) Barnes, Maria (John) Pietuszka, and David (Deborah) Allen; his step-children, Joshua Darr, Nicole (Derek) Dykes, Natalie (Jeremy) Klebes, Noell (Steven) Eckstein; and his grandchildren, Cameron, Natalie, Alexis, Coleton, Maven, Brody, Flynn, Sawyer, Olivia, Everett, and Anderson.

Visitation will take place Friday, June 17th from 5-7pm at Berry Lynnhurst Funeral Home with Rosary following at 7pm. A funeral mass will be held at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 414 West Vine Avenue on Saturday, June 18th at 1:00 pm with a committal service immediately following at Lynnhurst Cemetery.

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