John Franklin Allevato

Born in Clarksburg, West Virginia to John and Betty (Oliverio) Allevato, John graduated high school early, at age sixteen, and attended West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) where he met his future wife, Melonie Dawkins. The couple married in August 1976 and celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary this past August.

After graduating magna cum laude from WVWC in 1976, John earned his Juris Doctor from the Washington and Lee University School of Law in 1979. Upon graduation, he moved to Columbus, Ohio, where he practiced law for nearly twenty years, focusing on federal taxation and estate planning. In 1997, he returned to his home state of West Virginia as a partner at Spilman Thomas & Battle in Charleston, where he remained until his retirement in 2023.

John also loved teaching law. He taught for fifteen years as an adjunct professor at Capital University Law School and at Capital’s Graduate Program in Taxation in Columbus, and for an additional seven years as an adjunct lecturer at the West Virginia University College of Law. Among his many career achievements, he was a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. He also spent many years giving back to WVWC, serving as a member of the Board of Trustees (serving as chair of the Governance/Trusteeship Committee, and a member of the Executive Committee) from 2017-2024; president of the Alumni Association from 1986-1990; and a member of the President’s Advisory Council from 1999-2006.

John was an involved father who loved supporting his children’s many educational, athletic, and artistic pursuits over the years. He enjoyed taking family vacations to the beach and doting on his many grandchildren. He was a dedicated sports fan, especially of the West Virginia Mountaineers, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Willie Mays. He was also an avid collector of vintage baseball cards.

John is survived by his wife, Melonie; children Jason S. and Courtney (Fitzpatrick) Allevato, Jennifer M. Allevato and Jason Muller, John M. and Molly (Egloff) Allevato, and Matthew J. Allevato; eight grandchildren Gigi, Asher, Ike, Ben, Poppy, Ace, Annabelle, and Ford; brother Gregory S. and Nena Allevato; sister Deborah (Allevato) and Stanley Frum; mother-in-law Helen Dawkins; sister-in-law Dawna (Dawkins) and Mark Williams; brother-in-law Richard and Debbie Dawkins; and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and in-laws. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Visitation will be held from 1:00pm to 4:00pm on Sunday, November 8th at Schoedinger Dublin in Dublin, Ohio. Schoedinger Dublin is handling the arrangements, and condolences may be shared online at www.schoedinger.com

In lieu of flowers, please send donations in John’s memory to the Wesleyan Fund at West Virginia Wesleyan College, either online at www.wvwc.edu/give or by mail to the WVWC Office of Advancement, 59 College Avenue, Buckhannon, WV 26201.