Chaplain Lee (L.W.) Woodson Allen, Sr. passed peacefully into the presence of the Lord Jesus on May 20, 2018.

L.W. was born, December 14, 1930, in Richmond where he grew up. He attended St. Christopher's School, then later Fork Union Military Academy where he graduated in 1949 with the distinction of "Best All Around Cadet." Following graduation at FUMA, he attended University of Richmond for one year before entering Army Officer Candidate School (OCS) for the Engineer Corps. After OCS graduation in 1952, L.W. and the former Patricia Anne Bransford of Cohasset, Virginia, married (after 4 years as high school sweethearts) before leaving for their first assignment in Germany.

After a three-year tour overseas, they returned stateside in 1955 for assignments at Ft. Belvoir, Va. and Ft. Campbell, Ky. While in Kentucky, L.W. felt a call to the ministry. Finishing his active duty obligation, L.W. left active duty to prepare for the ministry. Now with 3 children, the family moved back to Fork Union where L.W. continued at UR while enrolling for ministerial courses at Union Theological Seminary. Meanwhile he balanced school with serving in the Army Reserves keeping alive a dream of returning to active duty as a chaplain.

Following graduation from U.R. and ordination into the ministry in 1963 at Fork Union Baptist Church, L.W. pastored Fluvanna Baptist and Hopeful Baptist churches in Central Virginia. Then in 1967, the family moved to Wake Forest, N.C. where L.W. attended Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary to earn his Master of Divinity. Afterwards graduating in 1971, the family retuned to Central Virginia and L.W. accepted a rural pastorate at Cartersville Baptist Church in Cumberland. During that transition, he transferred to the Virginia National Guard to serve as a chaplain. Three years later he was specially selected to attend the Army Chaplain School at Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island, New York. While there L.W. added a Master in Pastoral Counseling from Long Island University.

Once again back in Virginia, L.W. returned to the Guard chaplain while also serving pastorates at Antioch Baptist Church in Scottsville, then New Life Baptist Church in Varina outside of Richmond. His last pastorate would be at Stuarts Draft Church in the Shenandoah Valley. After a 40-year career serving eight Churches throughout Central Virginia and duty in the Army and Virginia Guard, L.W. retired in 1990 from active pastoring and with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Retirement, however, was never in the plans for L.W. Soon after retiring, he started serving as a chaplain for the Veterans Administration in Richmond. Then in 2003 he and Pat joined Christian Evangelist Bill Bright's Military Ministry, a division of Campus Crusade for Christ. Headquartered in the military town of Newport News, Military Ministry was a perfect fit for L.W. and Pat, with 40 years of pastoral experience balanced with the military. Neither was L.W. through with his education. He began working on his doctorate at the International Seminary in Florida, earning a PhD. in Biblical Theology in 2007. His doctoral thesis would later be published as a full-length book under the title God's Plan for His Creation and Eternity .

During their 12 years with Military Ministry, L.W. and Pat made their home in Smithfield, calling Harvest Fellowship Baptist their church family.

L.W. and Pat celebrated 66 years of marriage this past March 15 ^th . Undoubtedly, L.W.'s biggest legacy is his family. He was pre-deceased by his daughter, Debra Vazquez of Ocala, Florida, in 2004. He is survived by his beloved wife Pat, three children: Lee Jr. of California, Patricia Allen New of Danville, James B Allen of Blowing Rock, N.C., 15 grandchildren, and 16 great- grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held June 9 at 1 p.m. at Harvest Fellowship Baptist Church, Smithfield, Va.  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Harvest Fellowship Baptist Church and the Hospice Foundation.