Colonel (Ret.) Julian D. Allen passed away on October 9, 2025, at the age of 71. Born in Jackson on January 11, 1954, Julian lived a life guided by faith, family, service, and a lifelong love of flight.
From an early age, aviation captured Julian’s imagination. Growing up in the Jackson area, he would take flights from Jackson to Atlanta simply for the joy of being in the air. At just 16, he earned his pilot’s license in a J-3 Cub, setting the course for a life spent in the cockpit. He also served in the Civil Air Patrol, where his passion for flying merged with his devotion to his country.
Julian graduated from Provine High School, studied at the University of Mississippi, and completed his undergraduate degree at Louisiana Tech University, where he participated in ROTC and served with campus police. He later earned a doctorate in adult education with an emphasis on criminal justice from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2002, an education he would later dedicate to the training and development of law enforcement officers.
Julian entered the U.S. Air Force pilot training at Columbus Air Force Base, where his skill, discipline, and calm leadership led to his selection as a T-38 instructor pilot. He later transitioned to heavy airlift, flying the C-141 Starlifter, and was assigned to McGuire Air Force Base, including service as aide to a two-star general. His career spanned multiple Pentagon assignments, command of a squadron during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and service as a congressional liaison focused on logistics and operations. After more than two decades of honorable service, he retired from the Air Force, proud of the airmen he led and the mission he served.
Returning to Mississippi, Julian answered a new call in public safety. In Gulfport, he served with the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department as Chief Pilot and Deputy, directing the Motor Carrier Enforcement Unit and remaining on call around the clock. After Hurricane Katrina, he relocated to Hattiesburg to help strengthen statewide law enforcement training. At the University of Southern Mississippi, Julian helped lead the Southern Regional Public Safety Institute at Camp Shelby, Mississippi’s residential law enforcement academy. He also served as Associate Vice President for Economic Development and Director of Operations, overseeing public-safety technology initiatives, training programs, and university aviation efforts supporting first responders throughout the Gulf South. Later, Julian continued flying professionally with Vertex Aerospace before fully retiring in 2020.
In retirement, he found joy in traveling, time with family, church service, and watching aircraft come and go from Madison Airport. He made his home in Brandon, Iuka, and Ridgeland, where he was known as steady, kind, and always ready with a story. Those who served alongside him remember his calm under pressure, his high standards, and his commitment to mentoring younger pilots and officers. Friends remember his humor and love of travel. His family remembers a man who showed up consistently, generously, and with great energy and enthusiasm.
Julian’s legacy lives on in the airmen he led, the deputies and cadets he trained, and the communities he helped protect. His family and friends take comfort knowing that his final landing was a gentle one and that the life he lived remains a flight plan worth following.
Julian was preceded in death by his parents, Wallace Gerald “Jerry” Allen and Golia Reece Manuel Allen, by his godparents, Clyde and Lottie Eubanks, and by his brother Tom Allen. He is survived by his daughter Jamie Dale Allen (Carthage), his stepson Randy Holloway, his sister Sandra Rhoden (Madison), and his brother Jerry Allen (Estes Park, Colo.).
Julian was laid to rest with full military honors at Biloxi National Cemetery, where he now rests among fellow veterans he proudly served alongside.
