Allen D. Smith

Allen D. Smith died on October 3, 2011, of heart disease after 90 years of joyous and satisfying living. He was born December 6, 1920, in Concordia, KS to Matthew Allen Smith and Violet Dunn Smith. The family moved to Kansas City before his first birthday, and he lived most of his life in this area. He attended Kensington Grade School, East High School and old KC Junior College. After graduating from JC he got a job as a studio technician at KMBC and won a scholarship at Central Radio and Television Institute, where he subsequently was hired as an instructor. While in high school Allen met Beverly Raymond. Their friendship developed into romance and they were married in Athens, Georgia, where Allen was working as an instructor at a Signal Corps basic electronics and pre-radar school. Their marriage lasted from 1943 to 1994 when Beverly died following a brief illness. Following his military service, Allen and Beverly returned to Kansas City where their daughter, Jane, was born. Allen completed his education at the University of Kansas, School of Journalism. While still in school, he began working weekends in the news department of KMBC. Following graduation and for the next 15 years, he continued in radio and television news at KMBC and KCMO. He also was the public-address announcer for home games of the Kansas City Blues, and later, the Kansas City Athletics baseball teams from 1954 to 1963. In 1963, he became Director of Communications for the then Jackson County Medical Society (now the Metropolitan Medical Society). He remained in the association management field as Executive Director until his retirement in 1986. During his working days, Allen was a member of Sigma Delta Chi, the Society of Professional Journalists; Kansas City Press Club, Board of Directors and President; Rehabilitation Institute, Board and President; Visiting Nurse Association, Board and President. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Rev. Jane Carol Smith, and survived by his beloved wife of 15 years, Ann K. Smith; granddaughter, Patricia Johns and husband, Charles; grandson, Adam Wray and wife, Amanda; and great-grandsons, Jason, Alexander, and Julian Wray; stepchildren, Diane Landon, David Bywaters, Deena Schaffer, Doris Rice, and their families. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, October 7th, at Country Club Christian Church, 6101 Ward Parkway, Kansas City, Missouri 64113. Following the service, the family will greet friends in the Church Parlor. The family requests no flowers, but suggests that memorials may be directed to Kansas City Hospice and Palliative Care, 9221 Ward Parkway, Suite 100, Kansas City, Missouri, 64114 or to the church. Condolences may be offered at www.mtmoriah-freeman.com. Arrangements under the direction of Mount Moriah & Freeman Funeral Home, Kansas City, MO.