Francis Warren Allen

COLUMBIA - Francis Warren Allen, age 93, of Irmo passed away on October 7, 2014, after a brief illness. Funeral service for Francis Warren Allen, will be held at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, October 11, 2014, at Union United Methodist Church, with burial in Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5 until 7:00 p.m. Friday, October 10, 2014, at Dunbar Funeral Home, Dutch Fork Chapel, Irmo. He was born on the ancestral farm in the Fruit Hill Community in Saluda County, SC on May, 28, 1921. After completing schooling, Francis joined the US Army prior to the Second World War. He saw service in the 48th Field Artillery, attached to the US 7th Division, in the actions at Kiska and Attu in the Aleutian Islands as well as at Kwajalein, Leyte Gulf, and finally at the great battle for Okinawa. Discharged Honorably after the end of the conflict, he married Eleanor Able of Ward, SC and attended Newberry College on the GI Bill while working part-time. Upon graduation from Newberry, he took a teaching position at Lone Star, SC and completed his M.A. degree at the University of South Carolina. He was named Principal, and taught at Olar, SC, and several years later the Allen Family moved to the larger community of Ridgeland, SC, where he was the principal. In Ridgeland the family formed life-long friendships with many of the fine people there. In 1959 the Allen family moved to Irmo, SC, where Francis became Principal of the Irmo School, then comprising all 12 grades. He became Principal of the new Irmo High School, then one of the most modern schools architecturally in the state, if not the nation. He later led the RichLex Middle School and went on to administrative duties at the District Office for Lexington School District 5. Francis continued to be a scholar all his life and read a vast array of literature. He imbued his offspring with a love of books, and the simple joys of travel, nature and history. He taught respect for wildlife and exemplified good conservation practices in timber management. In his later years, he was a daily visitor to the Library and was most grateful to the excellent services provided by the staff there. Francis was a faithful member of Union United Methodist Church in Irmo. Francis was predeceased by his wife, Eleanor; and brothers, Scott and Jim Allen. He is survived by his daughter, Kim Todd (Russell) of Lexington; sons, Tommy Allen of Columbia; Phil Allen of Clemson; grandchildren, Susan Herring, Julie Koon, Charity Todd; great-grandchildren, Kendall Koon, Jacob Koon, Olivia Herring, Evan Herring and Allen Herring.