Donald Keith Allen
November 6, 1950 – June 3, 2024
Don Allen of Youngsville, North Carolina, passed away on June 3, 2024. Never one to give up on himself, his family, or life, he bravely faced his tremendous final battle against mesothelioma.
Born in Whigham, Georgia, on November 6, 1950, Don will return home for his final resting place. Funeral services are at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 9, 2024, at Clark Funeral Home, Cairo, Georgia. Rev. Becky Willis will officiate. The family will receive friends the hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Interment will be in Butler Cemetery, near his late parents, Earl Vivian Allen and Beatrice Ponder Allen.
Following his graduation from Whigham High School, Don enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1969. Following basic training, he went to Chanute AFB (Illinois), Robins AFB (Georgia), Lockbourne AFB (Ohio), and finally to RAF Woodbridge (United Kingdom) for a 3-year tour. He was honorably discharged in 1973.
In the course of his military service, Don received specialized electrical training as well as leadership training that would serve him for the rest of his life. After returning from his service with the USAF, he earned his associate’s degree from Tallahassee Community College. He was able to apply his military experience and college education to years in business, working in sales and management for companies in the electrical component industry. He retired at the end of 2020 as the President of Cable Connections. He was proud to be designated as an essential manufacturer during the pandemic, a testament to the contributions of the company under his leadership.
Out of the office, Don was a dedicated husband, father, and community servant. From countless hours spent at his children’s sporting events to serving as the chair of the Snellville (Georgia) Planning and Zoning Commission, he unselfishly committed time to his family, neighborhood, and town. His family remembers fondly how he could talk to anyone, anywhere and would become fast friends with just about everyone. He deeply valued relationships and the connections he made with others.
Before and during retirement, Don loved traveling extensively with his wife, Julie; playing golf with his family and neighbors in Georgia and North Carolina; gardening or “working in the yard” as he called it; and attending professional and collegiate sporting events. He enjoyed family trips to national parks as well as getaways to the North Carolina mountains and cruises to the reaches of Alaska and Canada.
His memory will be carried on by his wife of 49 years, Julie Zibell Allen; Kendra Lauren Allen (daughter); and Brandt Keith Allen (son). He is also survived by sisters Mindy Allen Whitfield and Doris Allen Singletary; brothers-in-law Bill Zibell (Kris) and Randy Zibell (Diane); many nieces and nephews; and “his puppers,” Watson.
Don was preceded in death by his parents, Beatrice and Earl Allen, brother-in-law David Singletary, mother-in-law Hazel M. Zibell, and father-in-law Edward F. Zibell.
