William Christopher Allen

Clayton- William Christopher Allen — Christopher to those who knew him and loved him dearly — of Clayton, North Carolina, passed away unexpectedly Monday, May 23, 2022, at age 35. A native of Hoschton, Georgia, Christopher graduated magna cum laude in 2015 from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in international business, finance, and marketing, with an emphasis in international business and a concentration in finance, as well as a minor in Japanese. During his college studies, Christopher developed a love of travel, visiting Hungary, Japan, England, France and Italy. It was at the University of South Carolina that he met his wife, Ellen Shire. Christopher proposed to Ellen in 2016 in London, and they were married Oct. 12, 2018, in a beautiful ceremony at Fanningstown Castle, Adare, County Limerick, Ireland. Two years later, Christopher and Ellen welcomed their son, William Paul, just two days before Christopher’s birthday. In March 2022, they found out they were expecting a daughter. Christopher is survived by his wife, Ellen, his 18-month-old son, Paul, and his daughter, Madeline Josie, who is due in October, all of Clayton, North Carolina. He is also survived by his mother, Deborah Allen, his grandmother, Josephine Allen, his sister, Deanna Allen, all of Hoschton, Georgia, and his aunt, Phyllis Holland of Winder, Georgia. He is survived by his mother-in-law, Deborah Dutko, his father-in-law, Joseph Whitman, his sister-in-law Alyssa Shire, and Alyssa’s fiancé, Jonathan Grubbs, all of Neeses, South Carolina. He is also survived by his beloved dogs, Anna, Toshi, and Ghost, and cat, Sahara. Christopher was preceded in death by his grandfather, William Donald Allen of Hoschton, Georgia. The family will receive friends and relatives from 10 a.m. to noon Sunday, May 29, 2022, at Bryan-Lee Funeral Home in Garner, North Carolina.