Ira Allen Jr.

Ira Jefferson Allen, Jr. was born to Ira Jefferson Allen, Sr and Thelma Louise (Traweek) Allen on October 21, 1936 in Houston, Texas.  He passed from this life on October 10, 2022 in New Braunfels, Texas at the age of 85.

Ira was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Claude and his sister Lee.  He is survived by his loving wife, Brenda Sue (Broesche) Allen of New Braunfels; sons, Travis “Trey” Allen & wife, Charla Allen of Houston, Texas and Neil Allen & wife, Debbe Jo Allen of San Antonio, Texas.  He is also survived by his grandchildren Ryan Gard & wife, Sari Kern-Gard of Boston, Mass, Taylor Allen, Cheyney Allen, Zachary Allen, Claire Allen, Hannah Allen, and his great-grandchildren Edie Kern-Gard, Juniper Gard-Kern, Rowen Kern-Gard, and Wilder “Wylie” James Lewallen.  He is also survived by his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Travis and Suzann Broesche of Houston, Texas.

Ira loved Texas and spent his entire life in Houston, Brenham and New Braunfels, Texas.  He grew up in Houston near Rice University and earned his Bachelor Degree in Communications from the University of Houston after several years at the University of Texas @ Austin.  During these years, he met, courted and married Brenda Sue Broesche in June 1960.  He spent a brief time in the US Air Force Reserves in Los Angeles, California and was recalled for the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.  Over the next thirty years, Ira and Brenda started and raised their family in Houston, welcoming Trey and Neil in 1963 and 1966, respectively.  Dad provided for his family working as a news reporter at every local affiliate in Houston, as a free-lance film producer and finally as a Director at Shell Oil Company.  He did more than his share at school PTA meetings, coached his sons’ teams and never missed taking the clan on a road trip to the Grand Canyon or their annual ski trip.

In 1995, Dad moved he and Brenda to Brenham, Texas to help care for Brenda’s parents, Travis and Lucille Broesche.  Over the next twenty years, they breathed fresh country air, ate their share of Blue Bell ice cream, refined the art of smoking countless briskets, raised peaches, tomatoes and jalapeños, and started a Wagyu cattle herd.  In 2016, a new season began as they downsized from Brenham and moved to New Braunfels, Texas.

Funeral Services will be held at 10:00 AM on Friday, October 28, 2022 at St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brenham, Texas followed by a Graveside Service and Interment at Prairie Lea Cemetery also in Brenham.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Brenham, Texas (https://www.stpaulsbrenham.org/give)

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Memorial Oaks Chapel 1306 West Main St. Brenham Texas.