Allen Roy Puckett was born on February 10, 1923 in Weleetka, Oklahoma to Martin Walter Puckett and Ollie Lela (Black) Puckett and passed from this world on July 4, 2018. He was one of eight children (Marvin, Lela, Pauline, Ray, Allen, Dean, Dale and Wayne) and was raised in Hughes and Okfuskee Counties in Oklahoma in and around Weleetka, Dustin, Wetumka, and Yeager. Allen attended high school through the 10th grade in Yeager and then worked from May 1940 until May 1942 for his father on the 320 acre family farm in Dustin. They planted, cultivated and harvested a variety of crops, milked cows and drove mule teams.

On May 15, 1942 Allen left for Fort Sill to enlist in the Army Air Corps. He was assigned to the 345th Bombardment Group, 500th Squadron which was just being formed and was then sent to Airplane Mechanics and B-25 Bomber Specialist School for six months. The 345th Bombardment Group was sent to South Carolina for additional training and maneuvers. Upon completion the Group set sail for the South Pacific from California and passed beneath the Golden Gate Bridge on May 1, 1943. They arrived in Brisbane, Australia on May 28, 1943.

Allen Puckett spent most of his time during the war servicing and repairing B-25 Bombers often damaged in battle. He was the Crew Chief of the famous B-25 "Tondelayo". Sargent Puckett's stations included New Guinea, several of the Philippine Islands, Netherlands East Indies (now Indonesia), and an island west of Okinawa named Ie Shima which was his location as the war came to a close. August 19, 1945, Allen witnessed on the island of Ie Shima the arrival and departure of two Betty Bombers carrying the Japanese envoy of dignitaries to meet with General Douglas McArthur in the Philippines. Allen's service as Crew Chief of the B-25 "Tondelayo" and circumstances surrounding this final episode of WWII are featured in the book, "Warpath Across The Pacfic," by Lawrence J. Hickey.

He was separated from the service at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas on October 5, 1945, returned to Wetumka, and filed his discharge papers at the Hughes County Courthouse in Holdenville. Allen's service and experiences during the war would remain with him throughout his life. His grandchildren and great-grandchildren always listened with rapt attention to his numerous amusing and dramatic stories of his time in defense of the United States.

Upon Allen's return to Wetumka, mutual friends introduced him to Sarah Joyce Taylor in Dustin, and they quickly fell in love. On November 18, 1946, the couple eloped and were married in Holdenville. In November 2017 they celebrated 71 years of marriage and 57 years of living in Holdenville. Their grandchildren named them Nena and Pepa.

Following their marriage, Allen took a job working at Tinker Air Force Base and later studied auto mechanics at Oklahoma A. & M. College School of Technical Training in Okmulgee. During his studies, he worked as a taxi driver and Joyce worked in a grocery store.

Most of Allen's career was as an expert operator of heavy equipment including scrapers, road graders, bulldozers, dump trucks, and more. His efforts helped build America's Interstate Highway System during the 50s and 60s including I-35, I-40, as well as numerous state highways and dams. He was known as a "finish man" and put the finishing touches on many projects.

Allen and his family moved many times during the 1950s to follow work projects in Wetumka, Chickasha, Hydro, Tonkawa, Corpus Christi (TX), Arkadelphia (AR), Eufaula (AL), and other locations. They arrived and permanently settled in Holdenville, Oklahoma in 1961 where he maintained the roads of Hughes County until his retirement in 1988. His grandchildren were always thrilled by fossils, relics, and orphaned animals that he would find along the way.

Allen Puckett is pre-deceased by his parents, six brothers and sisters as well as two children, Susan Gayle Puckett and John David Puckett.

He is survived by his wife Sarah Joyce Puckett of Holdenville, his brother Wayne Puckett and wife Elaine of Enid, son Gregory Lynn Puckett and wife Sharron Smith Puckett of Broken Arrow, daughter Carol Puckett Irby and husband Robert L Irby Jr. of Holdenville and son Danny Allen Puckett of Greenville, Texas. Also surviving are seven grandsons, Robert L Irby III and wife Candice Irby of Holdenville, Daman Irby and wife Melissa Irby of Gordonsville, Virginia, David Alan Puckett, Scott Louis Puckett and wife Thi Nguyen, and James Gregory Puckett all of Broken Arrow, Derek Puckett of Holdenville, and Chase Puckett of Earlsboro. In addition, there are nine great-grandchildren Hayden Irby, Hudson Irby, Reagan Irby, Scarlett Irby, Daphne Irby, Amelia Puckett, Augustine Puckett, Lane Puckett, and Logan Puckett.

Pall bearers were Pastor Mike Taylor, Trey Irby, Daman Irby, David Puckett, Scott Puckett, James Puckett, Derek Puckett, and Chase Puckett. Funeral services were held at the Holdenville Cemetery Chapel at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, July 6, 2018, with interment immediately following.