Ireta G. Allen

Ireta G. Allen, age 81, of Lakewood, Ohio died peacefully, Sunday, January 17, 2016 in her residence following a period of declining health.

A daughter of the late Peter and Helen Williams Smith, Ireta was born at Cleveland, Ohio on May 11, 1934.

Raised by her aunt, Thelma Ford, Ireta attended school at Cleveland and worked for more than 30 years with the Cuyahoga County Job and Family Services as a case worker and investigator.

She was a longtime member of St. Malachi’s Church at Cleveland and was an avid writer. Many of her stories involved her life experiences; and as for the characters in her books, they were based on those she encountered throughout her life. Her other hobbies included, drawing, singing, listening to music, especially Bob Dylan, Johnny Mathis and her daughter, Ki.

Ireta was a true activist and believed in coming to the aid of those who were wronged in any way. She was also a firm believer in hard work and bettering herself to support her family.

She will be missed by her children, Ki Allen of Lakewood, Desiree Hardy of Berea, JoLynn (Jorge) Mata of Maryland and Kenneth Allen, Jr. of New Jersey; a daughter-in-law, Rachel Allen of Maryland; and her grandchildren, Erin and Matt Hardy, Javier and Jeily Mata, Austin, Quentin and Xavier Allen, Kayla Buchannan, and Gabriel Allen.

In addition to her parents, Ireta was preceded in death by her son, Derek Allen and her companion Paul E. Knisely.

A private graveside service will be held in the Fair Street Cemetery at New Philadelphia. A funeral mass will be held in St. Malachi’s Church, 2459 Washington Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44113 on Saturday, January 30th, 2016 at 11:00am.