10/15/2026
On October 5, 2026, Gwendlyon Lee Allen quietly left this earthly life at the Overton Brooks VA Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana, surrounded by people who loved him. While our hearts are broken by his absence, we gather not only to mourn his passing, but to celebrate the remarkable life he lived and the countless lives he touched.
Funeral service is at 11am on Saturday, October 17, 2026 at Triumph the Church & Kingdom of God in Christ, 908 Daniels Street, Center, Texas. Visitation is from 10am until 6pm on Friday, October 16, 2026 at Community Funeral Home, Center, Texas.
There are some people who come into this world and simply occupy a place in it. And then there are people who leave a mark. Gwendlyon Lee Allen was one of those people. To some, he was Gwen. To others, he was Melon, Big 'Un, Big Daddy, Big Gwen, Big Indy, GL, Paw, PawPaw, or Daddy. But no matter what name you called him, one thing remained the same: you knew who Gwen was. He was a tremendous man. He was strong. He was funny. He was opinionated. He was loving. He was protective. He was dependable. He was a man who stood on what he believed and was not afraid to speak up when something wasn't tight. And he was, without question, a family man.
A Name Meant to Be His
Gwen was born on August 29, 1946, to Raymond Allen, Sr. and Lou Roxie Allen. His name carries a story that 1s almost as memorable as the man who carried it. His mother wanted a little girl so badly that she had already chosen the name Gwendlyon. But when that beautiful baby boy arrived, she loved him so much that she decided to keep the name she had chosen and simply added Lee. And that was how Gwendlyon Lee came to be. Now, some men might have spent their lives trying to explain away a name like that. Not Gwen. Gwen wore his name like a crown. He carried "Gwendlyon Lee" with pride, confidence, and pleasure. He didn't shrink from it. He didn't apologize for it. He made it his own. And somehow, it fit him perfectly. Because there was never going to be another Gwendlyon Lee Allen.
The Boy Who Became the Man
Gwen attended C.H. Daniels School and graduated Salutatorian of the Class of 1965. He was intelligent, determined, and capable-but if you knew Gwen, you also knew that books weren't the only place where he could shine. He could play some basketball. In fact, he was good enough that the crowd had a cheer just for him: "IF you want to see some jive, give the ball to 35!" Think about that for a moment. A whole cheer. Just for Gwen. That story says something about the young man he was. He was talented. He was confident. He was memorable and apparently, when that ball was in his hands, everybody knew something was about to happen.
A Life of Service
After graduating from high school, Gwen answered another call. On October 21, 1966, he joined the United States Army. For three years, four months, and twenty-two days, he served his country. When his service was complete, he received an honorable discharge. But service was never something Given left behind when he left the military. It followed him into the rest of his life. After the Army, he worked for Holly Farms, now known as Tyson. There, he became known as someone who believed people deserved to be treated fairy and equally. If Owen believed something wasn't right, he was not the man who would simply sir quietly and watch. He would speak up. He believed in fairness. He believed in equal justice. And he was willing to stand for other people Lat-er, Gwen became a truck driver, working hard to provide for his family. He drove for years until retirement. That was Gwen. He worked. He provided. He persevered. He did what he needed to do for the people he loved.
But His Greatest Work Was Loving His Family
If you really want to understand Gwen, you don't have to start with his job. You don't have to start with basketball. You don't even have to start with the Army. Start with his family. Because that is where Gwen's heart lived absolutely, undeniably loved his family. He loved being a father. He loved being a grandfather. He loved being PawPaw. He loved being a brother, uncle, cousin, and friend. And for those who were blessed to be loved by him, you knew it. Maybe he didn't always say everything in the way someone else might have said it, Maybe some times his love came wrapped in humor, advice, teasing, a strong opinion, or simply showing up. But it was there Gwen loved his people, And his people knew it.
The Things That Made Gwen, Gwen
Gwen was a HUGE Dallas Cowboys fan. He loved sports. Gwen was an AVID domino player and loved to play the game. He loved watching YouTube cooking channels. He loved conversation. He loved his family. And he had a personality that could fill a room. There will be memories that make you cry. There will be memories that make you laugh. And there will be memories that somehow do both at the same time. Someone will tell a Gwen story years from now, and before they even finish it, somebody will smile and say, "Yep. That sounds just like Given." That is how we know a person has truly left a legacy. Because the stories don't end when the person does. They keep being told.
Faith at the End of His Journey
Gwen joined Lilly of the Valley Church of God in Christ at an early age. During his final hospital stay, the Lord placed something deeply personal on the heart of his sister, Brenda to walk with Gwen through the steps tor ward salvation. Those moments became precious. In the midst of uncertainty, there was comfort. In the midst of fear, there was faith. And in the midst of saying goodbye, there was the peace that comes from knowing that God was there. That is something the family will carry with them. Because although we would have wanted more time, more conversations, more laughs, more stories, and more ordinary days with Gwen, we can take comfort in believing that his suffering is over and that he has found peace.
A Family That Will Carry Him Forward
Gwen was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Charlene Clark; parents, Raymond Allen, Sr. and Lou Rosie Allen; paternal grandmother, Early McCowin; sisters, Lou E. Allen and Margaret Allen; son, Michael Mann and daughter, Tina Jacobs. But the story doesn't end there.
Gwen leaves behind a family that will carry pieces of him wherever they go.
Children:
Barris I. Allen (Linda) of Livermore, California
Fredreka M. Buckley (Terry) of Center
Dennis Mann of Center
LaTonia Mann of Center
Jeffrey Chumbley (Julie) of Hudson, Texas
Pamela McCowan of Center
Turkessa Daniels (Adrian) of Longview
Grandson, whom he raised as his son, Demarious Mann (Carnisha) of Center
Siblings:
Raymond Allen, Jr. (Mary) of Missouri City, Texas
Garland J. Allen of Center
Johnny L. Allen (Lauren) of Rochester, Minnesota
Delories J. Johnson of Center
Kenneth R. Allen (Fay) of Shelbyville
Brenda Allen of Center
Grandchildren who were so precious to him:
Marissa Allen and Jalen Allen of Vallejo, California
Amerie Allen and Amelia Allen of Livermore, CA
Rhaelyn Pitts of Center
Lena Whiteside of Center
Erica Miles of Houston
Joshua Jacobs of Shelbyville
Dachea Chumbley of Waxahachie, Texas
Amari Daniels of Longview
Gabriel Buckley of Center
Terrance Cartwright of Center
Jarcamary Smith of Center
Special God-daughter, Yolonda D. Neal (Steven), and her daughters, Tanesha Rogers and Kearri Lane, all of Center
Great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, relatives, and friends.
And among the people who shared a particularly special bond with Gwen was his cousin Milton McClelland of Houston, Teras more than a cousin, but someone who was as close to him as a brother. He also leaves his brother-in-law, Charles Mann of San Diego, California.
And there is another relationship that says so much about Gwen's heart. His first wife, Patsy Handy, Barris' mother, remained a close friend even after their marriage ended. They maintained a strong co-parenting relationship and continued to support one another. That kind of relationship doesn't happen by accident. It takes maturity. It takes forgiveness. It takes love. And it says something beautiful about the man Gwen became.
To His Brothers and Sisters
For Gwen's siblings, there is a particular kind of pain that comes with losing a brother. You don't simply lose the man he became. You lose the boy you grew up with. You lose childhood memories. You lose shared experiences that nobody else can completely understand. You lose the person who remembers things about your family that only the two of you remember. And while that grief is real, so is gratitude. Gratitude that God allowed them to have Gwen. Gratitude for the years. Gratitude for the memories. Gratitude for the laughter. Gratitude for every argument, every story, every family gathering, every phone call, every moment that seemed ordinary at the an but now feels priceless. So although his siblings mourn him deeply, they can also say: "We are grateful that he fours!
Services are under the direction of Community Funeral Home, Center, Texas.
