Celebrating the life of John W. Allen III. On Sunday, May 29, 2016, God gave wings to my beloved husband, father, brother and grandfather, John Walter Allen III. John was born in New York to the late John Walter Allen Jr. and Rosa Saunders Allen.

John was a 1969 graduate of Booker T. Washington High School. He attended Tidewater Community College. He was the first young black foreman at Planters Peanuts and was employed at G.E. for several years. He retired from Smithfield Packing Company after 17 years. John was a member of East End Baptist Church.

He leaves to cherish his memory his wife, Emira Allen; two daughters, Labrea Allen and Shavonna Holloway, both of Suffolk; four sons, Terry Allen, Shawn Allen, Darrin Allen (Marquisha), all of Suffolk, and Dion Allen (Crystal), of Raleigh, N.C.; three sisters, Nancy Benjamin (Kenny), of Greenville, S.C., Paula Jones (Alvin), of Portsmouth, and Deborah (Iggy), of Newburgh, N.Y.; two brothers, Ronald Jones (Gail), of New York, and Raymond Jones Jr. (Pauline), of New York; 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; other relatives and friends.

A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 4, 2016, at East End Baptist Church officiated by the Rev. Michael Frazier. Interment will be in Carver Memorial Cemetery. Professional services with dignity entrusted to Crocker Funeral Home Inc. Condolences may be extended to the family at www.crockerfuneralhome.com.