Tributes Pour in for Muhlenberg County Sheriff Ricki Allen
Sheriff Ricki Allen, of Central City, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 52 years old on Tuesday. The father of two has left behind a grieving family and a community in mourning. This hero will be missed by many.
I didn't know Sheriff Ricki Allen personally. I may have met him while doing events in Central City or Greenville, but I can't say for sure. After so many tributes have flooded in for this hero, I feel like he was someone I would have wanted to know. He has been described as a wonderful family man, man of faith, dedicated servant, dear friend, hard worker, and an inspiration to many.
His sister, Vicki Allen, wanted to send the community a message. "To most of you he was Sheriff but to me he was my baby brother. I still can't believe this is real. Amy, Jake, Emmy, Mom, Dad, Patti, Nathan, Tracy and I want to THANK YOU for all for the calls, messages and kind words. Please keep all of us in your prayers! As you all know, he was child of Christ, a husband, a father, a son, a brother, a public servant, a coach, a friend, and boy did he love animals. Ricki was everything a sister could want and more. I am so proud of the man he became. Heaven has gained a very special angel - I miss you and love you much.", Vicki shared.
This is what Ricki shared about his sister a few years back.
"My sister, Vicki, has always been there for me. We have laughed and cried together, but more importantly she has always had my back. When we were little, she made sure we played ball together and even had some good sibling rivalry games! She works at the GRCC after many years at the Central City Produce. She is dedicated to her job and works with some of the best Correctional Officers in the state. I can’t thank her enough for always being there and being so helpful. She is a very special gal. By the way, Jake and Emmy think she is the greatest aunt!", Ricki shared at that time.
I reached out to my friend, Lucretia Kittinger and she shared what a huge loss this is to the community. "He was literally the best we’ve ever had. He was the same if he saw you at the office or the gym. Always smiling and wanting everyone else to as well," Lucretia said. She went on to add, "I saw Ricki a few weeks ago when he came in the office. He was typical Ricki, cutting jokes, laughing and making all of us laugh. He was the same everywhere you saw him. Work, basketball games, Walmart.... He always wore that contagious smile. Ricki, you’ll be missed but Heaven is sweeter with you there. #1501"
Fellow officers, family, friends and community members will pay final tribute to Sheriff Ricki Allen on Saturday, October 3, 2020, at 2:00PM. The celebration of his life will happen at the Muhlenberg County High School West Campus Football Field in Greenville. Tucker Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Here's what Ricki had to say about his beautiful wife back in 2018, "I have to say I’m married to the best lady, Amy Nickle Allen. Without her support over the years, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. She is the best spouse anyone could hope to have. She has always encouraged me to achieve the most out of life and most of all always be myself. She takes not only the best care of me, but she’s the best mom too! She’s always ready to help others. She currently is a teacher at the middle school, but she’s taught at the elementary level and also the GED program. We continue after 25 years together, to laugh often together, and with our precious children. God has truly blessed me with Amy!", Ricki Allen
Ricki loved his Mom and shared this about her, "When I was attending Bremen School, my mother, Darlene Allen, was a stay at home mom. She was a very hard worker, keeping us in clean clothes and making sure we had meals cooked. She made sure her children were taken care of. She then began to work for Dr. Mayes at Oak Tree Eye Clinic. One of the things I definitely learned from my mother was passion."
Ricki also shared how much he learned from his Dad, "My dad, Ronnie Allen, was working at the coal mines and Ray Jones Trucking as I was growing up. As time went by, I took the values I learned from my dad being a coal miner and truck driver, such as, hard work, dedication and perseverance."
A GoFundMe has been set up in honor of Ricki and his family.
In the Spring on 2018, Ricki was running for the Sheriff of Muhlenberg County. These were his very own words from April 18th, 2018.
"I have been blessed beyond what I have deserved over the years with a great family, friends and career. No matter where my career led me, my family was always a top priority. Most of the time in the state police, if you get promoted, you are reassigned due to no vacancies at your home post. I worked as a patrolman taking calls for a year at Madisonville PD, six years with KSP, and four years at Central City PD. When promoted to Sergeant in the KSP for three years I worked with the patrolmen on the streets and was a first line supervisor. It was until I got promoted to Lieutenant, Captain and Major where I started making decisions during critical incidents, manpower allocations, budgets, scheduling, goals and objectives to deter crime and collisions. I learned a lot throughout my travels but never relocated my home. I may had to stay a day or two occasionally during my promotion in a specific area but I’ve always had my home in Muhlenberg County.", Ricki Allen
This is hard to watch without tearing up.
This is from a few years ago, but I'm sure many of you would like to hear his voice one more time. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Allen family during this difficult time.