Ekmark, Allen
EKMARK, Sr., Allen Charles
Allen Charles Ekmark, Sr. passed away peacefully at home on April 6, 2021 after a two year battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 79. Born in Memphis, TN to Katherine and Karl Ekmark, he was the middle child of three children. Allen attended St. Michael's Catholic Parochial School and then Christian Brothers High School. When he was 16 the family moved to Atlanta, where he attended and graduated from Northside High School. Allen began his career in computers at Western Electric in the early 1960's. After 25 years of many accomplishments there, he retired from what had then become AT&T/Lucent Technologies. After a few years of working as an independent contractor, he accepted a position with the State of Georgia, working in the Department of Administrative Services. In 1997, Allen was the chief architect of a major business system for the Drivers License division. His colleagues regarded Allen as a Guru, Pioneer and the most knowledgeable in his field. Allen mentored many people along the way during his long and distinguished career. He officially retired from the State of Georgia in 2012, but continued to work part-time for the Department of Driver Services until January 2021. It was widely known that Allen was a man of many talents. He enjoyed working in the yard and working around the house. He took on many projects including remodeling 2 kitchens all by himself, while still working full-time. There was not much that he could not do when it came to home improvements. Those who knew Allen understood him to be a quiet, reserved man who exuded kindness and gentleness. However, they also knew Allen had a very dry sense of humor and never lacked in pithy comments when appropriate. He was also a man of deep faith and conviction and never took the gift of salvation for granted. He was a member of All Souls Fellowship in Decatur, GA and also a member of a Community Group there. Allen leaves behind his loving family and many friends, too numerous to count. His love for his family was obvious and his heart and his arms were always wide open. He gave great bear hugs. He is preceded in death by his parents, and survived by his loving wife, Ruth Anne (Adams), and six sons, Allen, Jr., David Lee (Tanya), Christopher (Carrie), Kenneth (Alyson), Travis, and Kevin (Andrea), as well as 14 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren, brother Karl (Lena) and sister Pat Yarbrough (Lanier), along with many nieces and nephews. The family will hold a private interment service at St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church's Memorial Gardens on Friday, April 30. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (www.stjude.org).
