Roger Ancel Allen died and was reunited with his beloved wife, Florine, on June 6, 2018. He was born April 14, 1923 in Purcell, OK to Theodore Dwight and Jennie Allen. His family moved to Kiowa, OK when he was twelve.
Roger graduated from Kiowa High School in 1940. He attended Eastern Oklahoma A & M Jr College for a year and Murray State College for a semester on football scholarships before enlisting the U.S. Army Air Force on December 7, 1942. After training as a tail gunner on a B-24, Roger and his crew joined the 15th Air Force, 759 Bomb Group in Italy where they were assigned to the 459th Bomb Squadron.
On their 19th mission, their plane developed mechanical problems and was shot down over Innsbruck, Austria. Three of the crew died in the resulting explosion of the plane. After parachuting out of the plane, five crewmen were severely injured and only Roger and one other crewman landed safely.
Roger was captured and became a POW at Stalag Luft IV in Tychowo, Poland for over eight months. As the Allies advanced on this camp during the winter of 1945, Roger and the POWs began the two month, 500 mile “Black March” to take them further behind German lines to a POW camp in Fallingbostel, Germany. The prisoners were liberated on April 13, 1945, a day before Roger’s 22nd birthday, which he always said was one of his very best.
He was truly a member of “The Greatest Generation”. Upon his return to Kiowa, OK, on a blind date, Roger met Florine Zaccanti. Three months later they were married and began their 72-year life together.
Roger worked as a District Circulation Manager for The Daily Oklahoman. In this position he traveled all over the state of Oklahoma and grew to love its history and beauty. He always had several Oklahoma and U.S. History books by his recliner at all times which he read “cover to cover”.
Roger was a sports fanatic who could argue baseball stats with his grandsons for hours. He was fiercely patriotic and along with Florine, he would take his grandsons on road trips throughout the U.S. to inspire in them the same love for our country. Roger was a founding member of Christ the King Catholic Church and a member of their St. Vincent DePaul Society.
After his retirement, he became active in the Central Oklahoma Chapter of American Ex-Prisoners of War, serving as their Commander for several years. Roger was preceded in death by his wife Florine, his parents, his siblings Joe Edgar and Stanley Allen, and Winnifred Allen Nunnally. He is survived by his daughters Sherry Beasley (Lee) and Christie Allen, grandsons Byran Beasley (Coco), Justin Beasley (Kerri), and William Beasley (Adria), great-grandchildren, William, Ashlyn, Samuel, Evalynne, Sicilia, Vivian, Theodore, Layla and Hazel Beasley.
The family extends a heartfelt thank you for the compassionate care at Quail Ridge Assisted Linving and Physicians Choice Hospice. Viewing will be at Smith and Kernke, 14624 N. May Ave, on Monday June 11, with a prayer service in the Chapel at 6:30 pm. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 am on Tuesday, June 12 at Christ the King Catholic Church, and graveside services will follow at Resurrection Cemetery.
Donations in Roger’s name may be made to Christ the King Catholic Church, The Allen Family Scholarship at The University of Central Oklahoma, or The American Ex-Prisoners of War.
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