Lucille Clark Allen

On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, heaven gained an angel when Lucille Clark Allen peacefully entered eternal rest, leaving a legacy of love that will echo through generations. Lucille was born on September 11, 1944, in Charlotte, North Carolina, to James and Lucy Dora Fortson Clark, the youngest daughter of the large and storied Clark family, whose roots ran deep in the Georgia soil before the family made its way to Charlotte in the early 1900s. She was the granddaughter of Lindsey and Dorthula Clark and David ‘Dave’ Fortson and Cossie Mottox Fortson Moss. She grew up in a four-bedroom home on Burton Street, where faith, laughter, music, and unconditional love filled every room. As the two youngest children in a large and lively household, Lucille and her sister, Dorothy Clark, grew up, side by side from the very beginning, and that closeness blossomed into a bond that only deepened with time. Lucille graduated from West Charlotte High School as a proud member of the Class of 1962. Raised in First Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church, she didn't just grow up in the faith, she chose it. She remained a faithful member into adulthood, and that conviction showed in everything she was. She prayed without ceasing, loved without condition, and trusted God through every season of life. For 28 years, she gave her heart to Carolina Medical Center, serving in the dietary department with the same devotion her mother Lucy had modeled before her. It was there that God arranged one of His sweetest surprises, she met Burlin Allen, Sr., and what began as a simple meeting became 55 years of love, faith, and life built together. When Lucille became a wife, she embraced the entire Allen family with an open heart, becoming a cherished presence woven into both the Clark and Allen families, a Clark by birth and an Allen by love, honoring both with everything she had. Her son Burlin Allen Jr. knew a side of his mother the world only got glimpses of a love that was full, unguarded, and fierce. She poured into him, prayed over him, and that love multiplied into every grandchild and great-grandchild who followed. Lucille loved shopping, dressing up, dancing, softball, good food, and any room full of people she loved. Family reunions were sacred to her, any chance to pull the generations together and remind everyone they belonged to something bigger. Her warmth extended beyond family too. Neighbors, friends, and the community knew her for her kindness, her style, and her joyful spirit. During filming for the It's A Family Reunion television show, she said it simply: "My family means the world to me." Anyone who knew Lucille knew she meant every word. Lucille leaves to cherish her memory her devoted husband, Burlin Allen, Sr.; her son, Burlin Allen Jr. and daughter-in-law, Khy Allen, of Charlotte, North Carolina; grandchildren, Diondra Allen (April Root), Rameed Allen, Pianki Allen (Imanuel Hough), Menyarah Allen, Amilion Allen (Austin Schinaman), Burlin Allen III, Khi Allen, and Laila Allen; seven great grandchildren; her beloved sister, Dorothy Clark; her sister-in-law, Sarah Clark; along with five brothers-in-law, five sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends. Special thanks to Lucille’s devoted caregiving team: her husband, Burlin Allen, Sr.; her son, Burlin Allen, Jr.; her sisters-in-law, Antoinette Allen and Eva McKeithan; and her brother-in-law, Kenneth Robert Allen, whose love, dedication, and teamwork made them the very best caregiving team she could have had. She was preceded in death by her parents, James and Lucy Dora Clark, and her siblings, Westley Clark, David Clark, Thomas (Tommie) Clark, Cossie Clark, Corrine Stewart, Edward Clark, Grady Clark, John Henry Clark, Ethel Hoskins, William Clark, Elgie Clark, and Wallace Clark. With her passing, the family says goodbye to another living piece of Allen and Clark family history. But her love doesn't leave. It stays in every gathering, every reunion, every prayer lifted in her name, and every generation yet to come that will hear her story and know they came from something beautiful. Rest now, Lucille. You did well.

Lucille Clark Allen

September 11, 1944 - May 19, 2026