Jenna Allen passes suddenly on Saturday, July 11, 2026, just 2 days shy of an operation.
Jenna had a magic touch and always found a way to make everyone feel loved, special, and welcome. She grew up in Grafton, Ohio and graduated from Midview High School. As a youth her passion for music was clear, as she was Grand Soloist—State of Ohio for Rainbow Girls and active in arts and music.
Holding a dual degree in literature and music from Baldwin-Wallace, Jenna continued to sing and had one of her poems published in a literary journal. Never one to rest on her laurels, she earned an MBA and parlayed that experience into her passion for teaching at Ivy Tech Community College as both a business professor and leader of the pilot arts entrepreneurship series.
Jenna and Jeffery met in the summer of 1995, began dating in 1996 and married in 2000. Their lives together took them to Connecticut where she joined the Middletown Chorale and worked as an assistant director for youth theater at Oddfellows Playhouse. In Indiana, where the family became complete with the birth of James David (JD) in 2012 and then the twins, Jordyn and Jyanna in 2015 back home in Cleveland. Her children were her everything.
Returning home to raise the family in 2015, Jenna continued to thrive in the role of momma, and then in the last two years returned to teaching as a beloved substitute at Campus International, where she created the Biz Kids program, ran the after-school drama club, and stepped up this past year to direct the school musical. She was in the early stages of pursuing a PhD combining arts entrepreneurship and urban education.
Jenna loved a good scary story, especially folk horror and would watch any B movie with a name like Sharktopus.
Jenna is preceded in death by her father David Smith, and is survived by her husband of 26 years, Jeffery Allen, their children James David (JD), Jordyn and Jyanna, her mother Charlotte Smith (nee Nelson), her sister Diane Smith (Katie), brother David Smith (Pete), sister-in-law Renee Smith (nee Gisewhite), brother in-law James Allen and sister-in-law Sharon Allen (nee Daw), sister-in-law Lisa Gaisor (nee Allen) and brother-in-law Douglas Gasior, and countless uncles, aunts, cousins, friends, students and loved ones.
A service and celebration of life will take place on Saturday, July 25 at 10AM at Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ, 2592 West 14th Street, Cleveland OH 44113. Live stream can be found at https://pilgrimalive.org/worship/livestreaming/
Please come dressed in something that makes you feel absolutely fabulous. Purple appreciated, and all colors of the rainbow welcome.
We love you, Jenna, to the moon and back infinity times around the sun. Forever.