John Allen Roark

A retired State Volunteer and Donations Coordinator and Individual Assistance Specialist at the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) with 12 years of service died on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in hospice care at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was a resident of St. Gabriel, Louisiana since 2019 after his retirement from MEMA, and a longtime resident of Brandon, Mississippi prior to retirement. Allen was 78 years old at the time of his death.

Memorial Service will be held at his beloved Holy Cross Anglican Church on Thursday, March 26, 2026 – Visitation at 10:00 AM; Service at 11:00 AM, with reception following the Service at the church Fellowship Hall. Internment will be at a later date for the family at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Cemetery in Brusly, Louisiana.

He is survived by his wife, Diane Bourgoyne Roark; step-daughter, Lindsey Renee Reecht of Catonsville, Maryland; sister, Anna Lee Roark LeJeune (Kirk) of Highpoint, North Carolina; brother, Robert Marshall Roark (Abby) of Washington, D.C. and sister-in-law, Cynthia Bourgoyne Mahony (Gerald) of Prairieville, Louisiana; along with numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father, Reuben Simeon Roark; mother, Martha Rae McDaniel and sister, Margery Roark Barton.

Allen graduated high school at Bolton High School, and attended two years of college before joining the Navy 1968 serving first on staff to Commander of the U.S. Seventh Fleet aboard the USS Oklahoma as a Systems Controller programming cryptographic equipment, serving along the coast of North and South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. His final duty station during that war was as a Communications Supervisor at the U.S. Naval Air Station, Agana, Guam from 1971-1972, where he received the Navy Commendation when he assisted the Air Force in the lifesaving actions to rescue a downed B-52 crew member.

Allen has had numerous life experiences through his various employment opportunities, which included gigs as a musician in his early years, a long haul truck driver travelling all over the country, salesman for a dog food company and a dental repair company, before he finally found a job with the Mississippi Emergency Management Association, where his true spirit of kindness and helping others showed through. He also has served as an EMT with the Houghton, Louisiana Volunteer Fire Department, and the Reservoir Fire Department in Brandon, Mississippi.

Allen never met a stranger and loved conversations with everyone. Many have remembered him for his kindness and helpfulness.

His two true passions were music and the Veterans/First Responders. He was able to exercise those passions through his ministries at Holy Cross Anglican Church through playing the bass guitar with the Praise and Worship Team, and helping with the ministry to the Veterans at the Veterans Home in Jackson, Louisiana. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial to Holy Cross Anglican Church or to Tunnels to Towers (T2T).

Special thanks to the wonderful doctors, nurses and staff at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital, Baton Rouge for their care of Allen and kindness to his family and friends as they visited him.

May share memories, sympathies, and condolences at www.rabenhorst.com