"The beauty of the soul shines out when a man bears with composure one heavy mischance after another, not because he does not feel them, but because he is a man of high and heroic temper." Aristotle

Heaven gained a hero on the evening of Friday, April 3rd, 2020, when Jack Lowell Allen laid down his fight.

Born February 9th, 1946 to Lowell and Clora Mae Allen, Jack moved often with his father's work in sales, eventually landing in Carthage, MO, where he graduated high school in 1964. Soon after, he attended Southwest Missouri State College, where he was active in tennis as well as the local radio station. The best stories and strongest friendships, however, are traced back to his fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon.

After earning his Bachelors degree, Jack enlisted in the Army and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne. He honorably served two tours in Vietnam, from September of 1968 to June of 1970, and was awarded a Bronze Star.  Though he rarely discussed his time in the military, his example instilled in many around him a great respect for and connection to those who selflessly serve our nation. Years later, his son-in-law, Jason, provided him an incredible opportunity to openly acknowledge his military service and receive long-overdue appreciation from others, by helping to escort the traveling Vietnam wall into town.

In the early weeks of 1972, Jack met Sharon Elling, quickly realized she was the one for him, and wasted no time convincing her to marry him. By the end of summer, they were starting their nearly 48-year journey as husband and wife with a wedding ceremony in the old sanctuary of North Cross United Methodist Church in the Kansas City, MO Northland.

Their fun continued with camping, fishing, and just about any other activity that included a large body of water and a boat. The real adventure began, however, when they became parents -much to the disappointment of their schnauzer, Fritz - with daughters Erica and Michelle. Being a father provided Jack's worrying personality plenty of frustration. Fortunately, it also brought plenty of laughter and rewarding moments, which he openly missed as the girls grew up and moved away.

Jack spent over 30 years in sales with Georgia-Pacific, doing what was so natural for him: connecting with people. He made friends wherever he went, whether professionally, in small towns and lumberyards of northern Missouri, or personally, at grocery stores, school functions, and vacation town cafes.

Years later, the hard work of being a father to two daughters paid off, when Jack was able to retire and step into his dream job: grandpa.  Anyone could tell that Carter, Alex, Elizabeth, and Finn put a sparkle in his eye that nothing and no one else could. He was at the baseball and basketball games as well as the piano recitals and birthday parties. Jack, Sharon, and the grandkids made their way to Science City, the KC Zoo, Worlds of Fun, the lake, Penguin Park, and anywhere serving frozen desserts.

Though a stroke brought a major plot twist in 2018 and nearly took his life, Jack again showed his strength and fought impossible odds to rehabilitate and find his new version of normal, demanding a couple more trips around the sun with the people he loved.

He is survived by his dedicated wife, Sharon, of Kansas City; daughter Erica Gabrick and grandsons Carter, Alex, and Finn, of Parkville; daughter Michelle (Jason) Jarvis and granddaughter Elizabeth, of Kearney; siblings Nancy (Ken) Reid of Billings, Bob (Judy) Allen of Nixa, and Jan Allen of Nixa, along with nieces, nephews, and a wide network of friends from anywhere he went.

While more brief than those who love him would have chosen, Jack certainly lived his 74 years displaying "high and heroic temper" through both the peaks and the valleys. The man he was will be remembered with every chocolate chip cookie and Royals game as much as he is when encountering a military veteran or a stroke survivor fighting back the odds. That is the beauty of a life that was well lived.

Due to current circumstances, memorial services and military honors have not yet been scheduled. Please leave your well wishes, fun Jack stories, photos, etc. here or at www.caringbridge.org/visit/jack.allen so the family may compile them and remember the many dimensions of Jack for years to come.