John Allen, who received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award from the New Jersey Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2005, passed away on March 16, at the age of 89.

He was born and raised in the Forest Hill section of Newark. A graduate of St. Benedict’s Prep, he received a scholarship to Seton Hall where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics. He began his teaching career in 1958 as a mathematics instructor at Weehawkin High School.

He began coaching at St. Benedict’s, beginning a lifelong love affair with wrestling.

Later in his career he became an instructor at the School of Education at Seton Hall University. He then continued his career as an instructor of mathematics at Seton Hall Prep, from where he retired.

While assisting the legendary Joe Kasberger, he maintained the excellence of the school’s football program. In three years, he led the wrestling team to the New Jersey State Prep School championship, which they won six of the next seven years. By 1962 the team had established itself as the premier prep school program in the nation by winning the National Prep School championship. From 1959 to 1962 the St. Benedict’s Prep wrestling team accumulated 40 consecutive dual match wins over public, parochial competitions.

Over the years John coached football, wrestling and baseball at several schools, including St. Benedict’s Prep, Essex Catholic Boy’s High School, Summit High School, Seton Hall Prep, Kean University and Weehawkin High School.

John has won numerous awards throughout the years. Among them: the National Football Hall of Fame; Newark Athletic Hall of Fame; St. Benedict’s Prep Hall of Fame; Seton Hall’s Hall of Fame; 1970 Football Coach of the Year; Herald News and Worrell Publications Wrestling Coach of the Year in 1976, 1985 and 1986; and Worrell Baseball Coach of the Year in 1982.

He received the Harry E. Lake Award for his commitment to wrestling in New Jersey. He also served as a member of the New Jersey Sports Hall of Fame Committee, the Association of Mathematics Teachers of New Jersey, Scholastic Coaches Association, the National Wrestling Coaches Association and the National Football Foundation.

In total, John coached 94 seasons of sports, encompassing 40 football seasons, 47 wrestling seasons, seven baseball seasons, and was a nine-time Hall of Famer.

He is survived by his nephew Tomas Allen and his wife Fleur, nieces Susan Golden and her husband Michael, and Mairin Friday and her husband Jason, his great-nieces and nephews Eamonn, Declan and Niamh Golden, and Molly, Meg and Aislinn Friday.

John is predeceased by his parents Thomas J. and Margaret Ann Allen, his brother Thomas Allen and his sister-in-law Joan Allen.