Raymond “Allen” Minix, Jr., 51, of Woodbury passed away on August 17, 2026. He was preceded in death by his father, Raymond Allen Minix, Sr. and his special fur baby cat, Sassy Mae.

He is survived by his wife, Angie Minix, son, Zachary Minix, brother and sisters-in-laws, Brant (Kathy) Fletcher, Mandy Fletcher, nieces and nephews, Miranda (Gunnar) Morrison, McKenna (Austin) Overton, Ella Kate Fletcher, father-in-law, Larry Fletcher, mother-in-law, Tony Reese, and fur baby cat, Sunny Ray.

He was born in Georgia but, as a young child his family moved to Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Allen always looked up to his father. Unfortunately, he passed away when Allen was just 12 years old. One of the other challenges thrown into Allen’s path was a problem with his vision, he was legally blind. Thankfully, his intelligence and perseverance allowed him to overcome the vision issue through a special school he attended in Morristown. They taught him how to work on things by touch instead of vision. He was also blessed to be technologically gifted. With the training he learned to build a computer without the use of his eyes. He graduated from Smyrna High School in the class of 1993.

Being geared toward technology and having a natural inclination toward engineering allowed him to pick up a lot of computer skills. Which in turn led him to good jobs with Axon and Duck Creek Technologies. He also recently became interested in ham radio operation. He had earned his ham radio license and began interacting with others on the air waves. His handle was KM4DCZ.

When Zachary was still a baby, Allen was thrust into life as a single father. It was daunting having to navigate the world with just the two of them. Before long though, he met his soul mate, Angie. When she looked into what she considered the most beautiful blue eyes, she became lost in love. They were soon to be married and joined as a happy family. Angie took to the role of mother quickly and she and Zachary bonded like he was her own. The road ahead came with its own set of curves to navigate but, they stuck together and pushed on. She and Allen spent almost half of his lifetime together.

Allen had an eclectic set of interests in a variety of areas. Following in his dad’s footsteps, he became a notary. The nostalgia of his youth and remembering his dad loved old westerns drew him to share the love of those old westerns and sci-fi movies with his son. They would often kick back and take in a classic movie together. His excentric taste in music was also an area he bonded with Zachary and Angie. Allen would put on a cd while taking Zachary to school. They had a blast going to the Weird Al concert together. Angie loved the music of Adele, so Allen surprised her with tickets to one of her concerts in Las Vegas in 2023. They didn’t have the best seats but they had an amazing time together. So much so that he got front row seats to Adele’s concert in Vegas the following year for their 20th Anniversary. They were so close to the stage Adele even spoke to Angie. It so happened Allen had an operation to restore the vision in one of his eyes before their trip. Which made it all the more special. He and Angie also went to Circ du Sole`. The look on his face was that of a child enthralled with seeing a whole new world for the first time.

Whatever was going on Allen had his own quirky sense of humor to share about it. He would often crack himself up joking about different things, even if everyone else wasn’t in on the joke. Always keeping a happy and jovial mood going wherever he went. He loved to get attention for the crazy shirts he wore. He would often try to top the last crazy shirt with the next. It was anything from sharks wearing Santa hats, too cats in UFOs. Those shirts always got his church family at Experience Community Church Cannon County Campus, talking. He and Angie had become more connected and involved with the church after attending. They also volunteered with CASA to help at risk children.

While 51 years may seem like a long time to some, it goes by in almost the blink of an eye to others. Allen managed to pack a lot of living into those years, persevered and excelled through the challenges life threw at him. His faith in God and the strength of the love for his family drove him on. Their hearts are broken with his too soon departure but, they were blessed with many unforgettable memories to help them keep his spirit alive.

A celebration of his life and memory will be held at Experience Community Church, 215 Murfreesboro Rd. Woodbury, TN on Friday, August 21, 2026 at 2 pm. Nicole Hudson will officiate. The family will have a time to gather with family and friends following the service. In lieu of flowers memorial donations are requested to CASA of Cannon and Dekalb Counties. Share memories and condolences with the family at www.gentrysmithfuneralhome.com Gentry-Smith Funeral Home, 303 Murfreesboro Rd. Woodbury, TN 37190, 615-563-5337. Because every life has a story.