Allen Lloyd Smith 1934-2025

He was born on March 9, 1934, a son of Chester and Olivia Smith in Port Gibson, Mississippi. The family later moved to Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Allen had two brothers, Chester (C.D.) Smith and Louis R. Smith, and three sisters, Mattie Smith, Elmira Henderson and Ethel Curry.

His mother worked as an elementary school teacher until she retired. She then became a secretary at a local branch of the NAACP. His father worked on the railroad.

As he was growing up, Allen enjoyed playing softball and football, as well as playing Cowboys and Indians. He continued watching Westerns even as an adult.

In the summers, he was able to ride the railroads for free and travel to different cities because his grandfather was a railroad turnkeeper. He especially enjoyed going to visit his uncle Earnest in Port Gibson, where he was able to ride horses, hunt and go camping.

He met the love of his life and future wife, Alberta Ellick, while in high school.

His grandmother, Prescilla Jackson, encouraged him to move to Cleveland, following his brother, Chester.

Allen held a variety of factory jobs on Cleveland’s west and east sides, eventually landing a job at Sobel Box Company, where he worked for nearly 30 years.

He felt it was important to encourage entrepreneurship and independence, no matter what a person’s individual circumstances. Because of this belief, Allen left his job in his mid-50s and purchased several single-family homes, two-family and apartment complexes to support himself and his family.

He felt it was important for young people to develop skills that would help them in their careers and life.

Allen believed people should enjoy the fruits of their own hard labor but also to invest wisely.

He is the father of three children, James A. Smith, Linda Alexander and Raymond L. Smith.

He is survived by James and Susan Smith, Linda Alexander, Raymond and Vernice Smith; grandchildren Jason Smith, Kareen and DeMarcus Levy, Saburah Okoye, Zinga Wilson, Branden Alexander, Sherod Hamilton and Wyshawn Hamilton; great-grandchildren, Lydia, Isabella, Ellianna and Nathanael Smith, Naomi, Olivia and Jaimie Levy, Zen, Gabrielle and Daniel Williams, and Ellis and Clarke Okoye; nephews, Lamont Taylor, Arnold and his wife, Cynthia Taylor; William Darnell Curry and Henry Taylor Jr.; nieces, including Josie Black, Olivia Wright and Lauren Smith Russell; as well as other friends and family members.

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