R.I.P. Eugene Allen

I've written two prior posts (here and here) about Eugene Allen, butler to eight Presidents. Sadly, Mr. Allen passed away on Wednesday at the age of 90.

He unquestionably, lived a long, full, and extraordinarily interesting life.

From the WaPo...

When John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Mr. Allen was invited to the funeral. He declined for the most generous of reasons: "Somebody had to be at the White House to serve everyone after they came from the funeral," he told The Post. When first lady Jackie Kennedy returned to the White House afterward, she gave him one of the president's ties. Mr. Allen had it framed.

Mr. Allen served entertainers including Sammy Davis Jr., Duke Ellington, Pearl Bailey and Elvis Presley. He flew aboard Air Force One. He sipped root beer at Camp David with Jimmy Carter and visited Eisenhower in Gettysburg after he left the White House. There were always Christmas and birthday cards from the families of the presidents he had served.

He looked up one evening in the White House kitchen to see a lone figure standing in the doorway: It was Martin Luther King Jr., who had insisted on meeting the butlers and maids. Mr. Allen smiled when King complimented him on the cut of his tuxedo.

Rest in peace, Mr. Allen.

(The Post isn't very generous when it comes to embedding their content elsewhere. If you're interested in seeing a slideshow about Mr. Allen, click here.)