We Honor the Father for giving us a Lovely Queen, Mother, Daughter, Sister, Glamma, Niece, Cousin and Friend, Blanche Renee McGee. “Renee,” as so many called her, was the first child born to the union of the Late Ronald McGee and Dorothy Elaine Holmes (McGee), on September 25, 1965, in Watervliet, MI. Renee attended Lawrence Public Schools and Benton Harbor Public Schools, until her family moved to South Haven, in 1975. Renee resided with her Loving Parents, John Ernest and Dorothy Elaine Evans; and her siblings, Alexis Louise, James Thomas and Toyya LaVerne McGee, as well as their faithful House Security, Shababa. Renee made many friends while attending school in South Haven, a lot of them that remained friends until her untimely passing. Renee graduated with her GED from South Haven Public Schools, but that was not enough for her. So, she went back to school to complete her high school courses so she could earn her High School Diploma. Renee was determined to get her high school diploma because she knew that she did not want her younger siblings to have one, and she did not. So, in 1986, Renee earned her High School diploma, and was ready to take the “world by storm.” When she was in High School, she was known to some, for being “the one you don’t mess with.” But to others, she was known as “a good friend.”
Renee was the kind of friend that June Howell, Brenda “Breeze” Jordan, Jeannie Thomas, Lolisa “Lisa” Hampton, Carla Roark-Hunter and Lynette “Randi” Givhan could call on anytime they needed a friend to share their deepest, darkest secrets to. And she knew that they were there to hear and listen to hers. June, Randi, Brenda and Renee were known around town as the “4 musketeers,” and they had a bond that could never be broken.
One day, Renee met someone that had swept her off her feet and away from her musketeers. But the Love that she had for him could not separate the Love and the Memories that she had with them. Charley Allen was the man that had come into her life to show her that her Love for others could be spread amongst their children. But, she never forgot about the memories or the Love that she had for her friends. So, Renee and Charley decided to start their own family.
Renee gave birth to her first born son, Antwaun Demetrius Allen, who brought so much love, joy and peace to her and Charley, as well as her parents and siblings. Shortly thereafter, they decided that they needed to expand their family, and they did. Sierra Helen Allen was the only girl born to Renee and Charley, and she was their little Princess. And she still is their little Princess! Soon after, they were Blessed with a third child, Deon JaQuan Allen. Deon was a “ray of sun” for Antwaun, because now he knew that he was not the only boy taking on the Little Princess. But, Deon had made room for a fourth sibling, Roberto Raphael Allen. Roberto decided that he was not going to wait to make a grand appearance into the world, so he was born at his Nana’s house, under the close supervision of his aunt Toyya. Renee was a good Mother to her children and a better Glamma to her 13 grandchildren. She loved spending time with her grandbabies, and she loved it when they wanted to spend time with her. She knew in order for her children to have what they needed, she would have to work long hours to make sure that they did not go without. Not only did she give Love to her children, but she gave it to everyone else’s children too. She showed her Love by fostering at least 100 children or more. Her heart was as big as her smile!
“Blanche,” as her Borgess Hospital Family called her, always had a smile on her face that would light up any room that she walked into. She spread her joy, her smile and her Love to anyone that came in contact with her. She made sure that she set aside time, at least once a month, to spend time with her coworkers. In her position as a PCA, she would develop friendships with the patients and their family, because she cared for the people that she took care of, and for the families that were going through it. She made so many friends there, including adopting a couple of young ladies as her daughters. When Renee resigned from her position at Borgess in 2017, her Borgess Family was sad to see her go, but they were happy that she was living her life. In August 2017, Renee took her belongs, and moved to Clarksville, TN to start a new position and make new friends.
Renee was living her dream, but still making sure that she stayed in contact with her loved ones and friends that she left behind. Once she set up her home in TN, then she got a position as a shift manager at Bojangles restaurant, where she had adopted a couple of her coworkers as her children. She thought that she had left a lot of her friends in Michigan, but she found out that one of her Borgess Family members was also living in Clarksville, Kristen, so she knew that is where she wanted to be. Kristen and Steve treated her like she was a part of their family. They made sure that she was not feeling lonely or that she was not without. Renee was always the type of person that knew what she wanted, and would not ask anyone for it, but would go get what she wanted. Even if it meant that she had to work even harder for it. Renee was a fighter, when it came to getting what she wanted. She fought all the way to the end!
Renee leaves to cherish her memory; her mother, Dorothy Elaine Holmes, of Covert, MI; her father, John Ernest (Lorraine) Evans, of Rock Hill, SC; her children, Antwaun (Samona) Allen, of Kalamazoo; Sierra Allen, of Kalamazoo; Deon (Athina) Allen, of Kalamazoo; and Roberto Allen, of Kalamazoo. She also leaves her siblings, Alexis McGee, of Covert, MI; James (Tonya) McGee, of Hartford, MI; Toyya (Roger) Johnson, of Kalamazoo; Edward Gaither, of Rock Hill, SC; Maurice Crawford, of Rock Hill, SC; Crystal Crawford, of Rock Hill, SC; and John Robert Beason, Jr., of Grand Rapids, MI. Her grandchildren, Jalela Mae Carver-Allen, Avianna Pearline Allen, Ajamen Jamel Allen-Ozuzu, Jahrey James Allen, Neveah Nicole Allen, Antwaune Demetria Allen, Leilani Khalill Allen, Kairie Lee Allen, Antwaun Demetrius Allen Jr., Amarion Raphael Allen, Annalisa Leandra Allen, Osirus Tehray Allen, all of Kalamazoo, MI; and Charlie Nicole Allen, of Atlanta, GA. Her special friends Brenda Jordan, June Howell, Lynette Givhan, Charley Allen, Steve and Kristen Green, Clayton Jamar, Clayton Jamar Jr., and Khadafi Jamar. Nieces: Jaionna, Keonna and Myrqal McGee, of Hartford, MI; Erica Woods, of Indianapolis, IN; LaQuita Hickmon, of Kalamazoo, MI; Asharay Johnson, of Ypsilanti, MI; Tyler Shackelford, of Detroit, MI. Nephews: Kevin McIntosh, of Lansing, MI; Derek Anderson, of Houston, TX; Shiron Williams, of Allegan, MI; Kyle Roller, of Detroit, MI; Julian (Lariah) Hickmon, of CA; Dontre McGee, of Kalamazoo, MI; Kalieb Bowers, of Kalamazoo, MI; Eric Woods, Jr., of South Bend, IN; and Asandre Johnson, of Westland, MI. Great nieces and nephews: Deontae Walker, of Kalamazoo; Brandon McKinstry, Madison and Apryl Hunt, of Indianapolis, IN; Mya Ledesma and Naomi Williams, of Allegan, MI; Zoe, Ishmial and Yazmine, all of Detroit, MI. Special Mother, Pearline Bridges, of Covert, MI; Special sisters: Ruthie Allen, of Las Vegas, NV; Dorothy (Mike) Newell, of NE; Jimmie Bridges, of Indianapolis, IN; and Celestine Jeffries, of Covert, MI. Special Brothers: Nate Allen, of Covert, MI; Sammie Allen, of CA; and John Wilhite, of CA. Special Daughters: Tina Clark, of Atlanta, GA; Michelle Hagan, of Portage, MI; and Ferrien Nixon, of Kalamazoo, MI; and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and adopted children.
Renee was preceded in death by her father, Ronald McGee; Maternal Grandparents, Eli (Lillian) Holmes and K.B. Ivory; Paternal Grandmother, Christeen McGee; aunt, LaVerne Mitchell and nephew, Trevon Thomas McGee.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Filbrandt Funeral Home, South Haven.
Saturday
March 9, 2019
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Emmanuel Community Church
322 Elkenburg
South Haven, Michigan 49090
Saturday
March 9, 2019
1:00 PM
Emmanuel Community Church
322 Elkenburg
South Haven, Michigan 49090
Posted On: Thursday, February 28, 2019 4:32 PM
