James R. Allen Sr.

There will be a memorial service Saturday, March 10, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. at the Canfield Presbyterian Church, 140 West Main St. in Canfield for James R. Allen, Sr. 86, who died March 2, 2018 after a brief illness. Jim, the son of the late Charles C. and Neva Hull Allen, was born October 26, 1931 in Ellsworth. He graduated from Boardman High School in 1949 and has resided in Canfield since 1955. As a teen, Jim began working with his father as a land surveyor, taking over the business in the 1960’s. Although semi-retired, he could still be seen “out in the field” working with his son, Bob, until a few months before his death. Jim was a storehouse of knowledge of local history, having surveyed thousands of properties through their various ownerships and developments over a 70 year career. Jim proudly served as a Canfield Township Trustee for 27 years, from 1971 to 1997. As a trustee, he was involved with the formation of the Joint Fire District and worked with the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Department to get better police coverage for township residents. Until a few years ago, Jim was an active member of the Canfield Presbyterian Church and volunteered his time serving on various committees and as Deacon, Elder and Trustee. Jim was a charter member of the Rotary Club of Canfield, where he held several offices, chaired multiple committees and received the Paul Harris Fellow award. While serving on the Exchange Student Committee he and his family hosted students from Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Sweden, Japan and South Africa. He and Jeanne enjoyed participating in Rotary International Conventions in various cities throughout the United States as well as Birmingham, England; Munich, Germany and Toronto, Canada. Jim also served his community through the Canfield Community Club and the Canfield Junior Citizens Club. Jim enjoyed playing bridge with the Canfield Bridge Club, square dancing with the Ball and Chain Square Dance Club, antique shows and traveling. His most memorable trip was to Bogota, Columbia for his son’s wedding in 1982. Besides his parents, Jim was preceded in death by his loving wife and best friend, Jeanne E. (Eyster) Allen, whom he married April 16, 1955, and by two brothers, Charles C. Allen Jr. and Richard Allen, two sisters, A. Joyce Brooks and Beverly Graves, as well as two nephews and a niece. Jim is survived by three children, James R. Allen, Jr. and his wife, Claudia Allen, and Charles Allen, all of Canfield and Meg Allen Evans of Hubbard; four grandchildren, James R. Allen III and Cristina Allen, both of Dallas, TX, Tanna D. (Andrew) Angyal and Evan A. Evans, both of Hubbard; a great-grandson, Alexey James Angyal; a sister, Margery Cooksey of Poland, sister-in-law, Nancy (Phil) Rakestraw of Chesapeake, VA; his Rotary exchange student children, Nelson Valverde of West Newbury, MA and Joao R. Pereira of Sao Paulo, Brazil and many nieces and nephews. Family and friends are invited to call one hour prior to the memorial service, from 2 to 3 p.m., on March 10, 2018 at the Presbyterian Church. The family requests that memorial tributes take the form of contributions to Hospice of the Valley, 5190 Market St., Youngstown, OH 44512 or to the Canfield Presbyterian Church Memorial Fund, 140 West Main St., Canfield, OH 44406. Arrangements are being handled by the Kelley-Robb-Cummins Funeral Home in Hubbard. Please visit www.krcummins.com to view this obituary and to send condolences to the family.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of James R. Allen Sr., please visit our floral store.