Raymond Wayne Allen Jr.

SERVICE: A private gathering of his immediate family will occur before his cremation. A Memorial Service will be held at a later time.

LIFE AND FAMILY: Raymond Wayne Allen, Jr. served in the United States Army and was stationed in Germany during the years 1987 through 1990. He was a talented artist and owned a Tattoo Shop. He enjoyed playing the guitar, kayaking, camping, and traveling to the mountains of Colorado and to the Florida Gulf Coast with his family. He will be greatly missed.

His son Anthony remembers: “He was a renaissance man at his core, his interests include kayaking, tattooing, drawing, writing, reading, music, mechanical work, travel, playing guitar, spending time with his family and his best bud, Luna.”

His son Dilyn remembers: “Whether it was music, art, or some more mundane project, he was always creating something, working on something. All of life was a work in progress. Not because it wasn’t good enough, or beautiful enough or well-crafted enough, but because he believed it could be better. He was kind and thoughtful and curious, he was goofy and fun, never above a joke at his own expense or a ridiculous dance, anything to make us laugh and smile. He was also one of the strongest and most determined people I’ve ever known. My father carved beauty from the ordinary, and the world is less for his absence. We could possess no greater fortune than to be his children, nor could many be more lucky than to have known him and called him friend.”

His daughter Jordan remembers: “He loved creating art, making and playing music, being goofy and making people laugh. He’s childish in the best way. He loved spending time with family. He loved our tradition of staying up all night watching scary movies instead of Christmas movies every year on Christmas Eve. He loved being an Allen and made us all feel like that was something really special and to be proud of. He was 100% completely unapologetically himself. We couldn’t have asked for a better dad.”

His daughter Saige remembers: “He has always been extremely proud of his heritage and family name. He always managed to keep his childlike wonder at heart. Tattooing is his passion and he happily achieved his dream of opening a tattoo shop at the age of fifty. He loves driving around with nowhere to go, loves adventures. And he said Luna was his best friend.”

SURVIVORS: He is survived by his father, Raymond Wayne Allen, Sr. , his mother, Marcia Wise Allen, his wife, Alissa Kyllander Allen, his sons, Anthony Drew Allen and Dilyn Rain Allen, his daughters, Jordan Paje Allen, and Saige Lee Allen, his brothers, Steven Allen and Russell (Sunshine) Allen, his step-sisters, Hollie (Christopher) Magnuson and Cindy (David) Domenico, his father-in-law, Steve Kyllander, his mother-in-law, Linda Kyllander, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Joy Allen and his brother-in law, Chadlee Kyllander.