Allen Barton DeMent was born in Nashville, Tennessee, on December 13th, 1991, and died in Atlanta, Georgia on November 23, 2020, due to undetected tumors that caused blockage of his heart. Allen was well-loved and left his mark on the world everywhere he went with his vibrant and dynamic personality. Allen’s faith was an integral part of who he was and the values that defined his life.
Allen grew up in South Carolina. He attended elementary and middle school in Greenwood, SC, where he was an active member of the Cub scouts, wrestling team, football team, and his church community. He made his public profession of faith and was baptized on February 21, 1999, at South Main Street Baptist Church in Greenwood, SC. He was a gifted musician and played the saxophone starting at a young age. He attended high school in Lexington, SC, where he was a member of the marching band. Allen graduated from Samford University in Birmingham, AL, where was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity and played in the marching and jazz bands.
Allen had a great love of food and the food service industry. Starting in high school, he worked at the Debordieu Country Club in Georgetown, SC. His charismatic and earnest personality left their mark; for years, members of the staff continued to follow Allen’s career and life, celebrating him and remembering him fondly. Following college, Allen worked for Boy Scouts of America as a Camp Director, Fundraiser, and District Executive. Allen’s fun-loving personality left a lasting mark there as well---he once famously took the scouts on a 40-mile canoe trip down the river and had each scout bring a Hawaiian shirt to wear on one of the final days of the trip for a backcountry luau. Allen dreamed of owning his own restaurant which eventually brought him back to the food industry where Allen worked in management and leadership at the Original Pancake House, Panera Bread, and Chick-Fil-A. Most recently, Allen began a new job as a sales representative selling restaurant equipment in the Georgia region. He was passionate about his job and loved sharing his detailed restaurant knowledge with restauranteurs and anyone who would listen, and greatly enjoyed building relationships with restaurant owners and kitchen staff across the Southeast.
On October, 17, 2020, Allen married the love of his life, Karena Dean MacDonald DeMent in an outdoor ceremony near Greensboro, GA, where they spent many of their days together with family at Lake Oconee. They both attended Samford University during overlapping years but did not connect until they were living in Atlanta, GA. Allen and Karena were active members of the Brookhaven Presbyterian Church in Atlanta where Allen regularly attended a men’s bible study. They were doting parents to their Great Pyrenees Golden Retriever pup, Riley.
Allen was thoughtful, hard-working, gregarious, earnest, sensitive, sincere, and charismatic. A boisterous and enthusiastic fan of University of Tennessee and Carolina Panthers football, he loved to attend and watch games with his friends and family. He laughed easily. His temperament was such that he wore his heart on his sleeve; he was quick to forgive and gave more of himself than he expected of others. He regularly brought ice cream to his wife, flowers to his mother, sent cards to his grandfather, called his Aunts and Uncles, and gave generously--particularly during Christmas which was his favorite holiday. Allen would always take the time to sit down and play a board game, and never missed an opportunity to gather with his family if he could help it.
Allen is survived by his wife, Karena Dean DeMent, his parents, Dr. Samuel Houston DeMent and Pamela Ruth DeMent, his sister Kimberly DeMent Dean, brother Reed Stevenson DeMent, and brother-in-law Dr. Derek James Dean. He is also survived by three grandparents, Marie Henley, Janet Ungerman, and Fred Ungerman, and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins on both sides of his family.
Allen would want to be remembered for his love of his faith, his marriage, and his family.
A small memorial service for immediate family will be held on November 28th, 2020. Friends and loved ones can send donations to the building fund at Brookhaven Presbyterian Church, 1294 North Druid Hills Rd, Atlanta, GA 30329 or https://brookhavenpres.com/giving/.
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