By Allan Lengel
Louie Frederick Allen, who worked for the FBI for nearly 26 years in various capacities including as head of the Newark Field Office, died last week (Oct. 15) at Samaritan Hospital in Troy, N.Y. He was 74.
“Louie rose to the highest ranks of the FBI and never forgot that he was a public servant first and foremost,” said retired FBI official Andrew Arena, who heads the Detroit Crime Commission. “The mission of the FBI and the welfare of his employees were always first, he never thought of his own career. That’s why he was so loved and respected throughout the Bureau. I will miss him terribly.”
A Pittsburgh native, Allen started his career with the FBI in 1978 and worked at field offices in the Mobile, Ala., Washington, D.C. and Cleveland. While at FBI headquarters, he was responsible for contingency plans and emergency response for special events such as the 1988 Democratic and Republican National Conventions and the 1989 Presidential Inauguration.
He was special agent in charge of the Albany Field Office before FBI Director Robert S. Mueller appointed him in 2002 as head of the Newark Field Office. Two years later, he retired from the FBI.
A Vietnam vet, he was honorably discharged from the U.S. Air Force in 1969. That year he joined the Pittsburgh Police Department where he rose to rank of detective. From 1969 to 1976, he earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh.
In 1978, he joined the FBI. After he left the bureau in 2004, he took a post as chief of detectives for the Prosecutor’s Office of Essex County, New Jersey. He held that post until 2007.
He then joined the New York State government as director of Internal Affairs for the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities. In January 2010, he was named the first African American Sergeant at Arms for the New York Senate.
“Louie was a true renaissance man who had an affinity for reading a myriad of books across genres,” said an obit published on the Bryce Funeral Home. “Louie was a dedicated sports fan, especially to his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers, and used his love of sports to mentor young people. As a man who travelled across the world, including an annual trip to Aruba with his beloved wife Peggie, Louie consistently found joy by spending time with his family and friends over a savory meal that almost always included chicken.”
He is survived by wife Peggie; sons, Deputy Sheriff Christopher B. Allen and Jonathan F. Allen, both of Cleveland; his grandchildren, Christopher B. Allen, Jr., Sydney N. Allen, Brandon L. Allen, Sophia A. Allen; his siblings, Richard C. Rhodes, Jr. and Dawn Allen; and several nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. He was predeceased by his brother, Theodore B. Jones.
The funeral is set for Friday.
