Arnold Edward Allen, 74, passed away peacefully on April 10th, 2026 surrounded by his wife and children while his favorite childhood TV show, The Rifleman, played in the background. A perfect end to a life well lived. His passing follows a battle with an aggressive cancer, which he fought valiantly. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife of almost 50 years, Carole; his daughters Abby (Jamin) Allen, Emily (Daniel) Bardon, and Grace (Andy) Bramman; his grandchildren Gwendolyn, James, Heidi, Peter, and Russell; his siblings Kathy (Allan) Arrington, David Allen, and John (Laura) Allen; and many nieces and nephews.

Arnie was born to Earl and Anne Allen on May 28th, 1951 in Elgin, IL. He loved to regale his grandchildren with stories about how he spent his early years in the country with no indoor plumbing until his family moved "into town" to Carterville, IL when he was a young boy. A natural-born leader, he played high school football, served as student council president, and was voted "Most Likely to Succeed" and "Most Dramatic" after playing the lead in two school plays. He attended SIU Carbondale and worked at the campus post office with Carole, where, after growing up in the same town, they began a friendship and eventually a romance. Arnie earned a Bachelor's degree in Government and a Master's of Business Administration from SIU and moved to St. Louis for a job at Monsanto. He and Carole married July 3rd, 1976 and began their life together.

Ever a proponent of education, Arnie earned an additional Master's degree in Economics from University of Missouri-St. Louis. He used his training to further his successful career in maritime logistics, negotiating international transportation contracts for commercial chemical companies. His work took him overseas frequently, and he spent time traveling to Belgium, Singapore, and Hong Kong, among other places. His family has always had trouble succinctly describing what Arnie did for a living, so they always joked that it was easier to just say that he was a spy or a secret agent.

In 1982 Carole gave birth to their first daughter, Abby, who was nine weeks premature and spent several weeks in the NICU. Arnie came to the hospital every day to visit and tend to Abby, establishing his reputation as a dedicated and doting father right off the bat. He and Carole completed their family with two more daughters in 1984 and 1989. Arnie gave his all to his family, instilling in his children the value of effort, preparation, and attitude in any endeavor. He attended every parent-teacher conference, recital, competition, game, and performance that his daughters ever had and remained a trusted advisor into their adulthoods, serving as an invaluable source of support and a frequent personal consultant on finance, home and car maintenance, and any big life decision. Through his confident yet gentle presence, he modeled for his daughters that standing up for yourself doesn't have to be cruel, and that strength and power don't have to be loud. He was sincerely beloved by his children and their spouses, and he was immensely proud of all of them.

After retiring, in 2014 he began a new full-time job as Grandpa Arnie. Together, Arnie and Carole provided full-time childcare for their grandchildren for more than 11 years. Arnie often said this was the best job he ever had. He truly loved his role as Grandpa, and he shared a special and unique bond with each of his five grandkids. In addition to preparing personalized lunches each day for the kids, Arnie established a stash of "Grandpa snacks" (aka junk food) at his grandkids' houses, which they all enjoyed raiding together. He was always eager to play games with the kids, whether it was make-believe, board games, video games, hide-and-seek, or "monster in the tent," and he grew to be an expert in the plots and characters in the kids' favorite shows and movies. Grandpa Arnie was a chef, reader, playmate, chauffeur, diaper-changer extraordinaire, and most importantly, a friend.

Arnie was admired by his family and friends for his dependable and responsible nature, his measured and methodical approach to life, and his unique blend of organization, ease, and wit. He was quick with a joke and was an ongoing source of levity and laughter, wrapped up in a calm and cool demeanor. As members of St. Mark Presbyterian Church in Ballwin, MO, he and Carole attended services on Sundays and appreciated hearing Pastor Dave's messages. Arnie enjoyed following baseball as a lifelong Cardinals fan, and also enjoyed playing golf and softball as a young man. He used his propensity for logistics to serve for many years as captain of the pit crew for the Marquette High School Marching Band, in which all three of his daughters marched. He drew detailed schematics and developed an air-tight process to get the band's equipment on and off the field within the allotted time, inspiring the crew mantra: "We don't step on the field until Arnie does." He was also a history buff and, in combination with Carole's pop culture knowledge, led countless trivia teams to victory. More than anything, he enjoyed time spent with his family.

Arnie's anchor throughout his life was his wife Carole. Throughout their more than 50 years together, they built a loving partnership based on mutual respect, commitment, and humor. They have provided a model for what a devoted union looks like that we can all learn from and aspire to achieve.

We are so proud to have had Arnie in our lives and to carry on his legacy, and we will miss him deeply. We are grateful for the many memories we shared with him and the lasting lessons he leaves behind.

Services:  A private service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, Arnie's family encourages you to help save a life by donating blood to your local blood bank in his memory.