Dr. Allen Deryl “Doc” Sapp, 82, of Warrensburg, Missouri, died Thursday, May 14, at the Missouri Veteran’s Home in Warrensburg.

Dr. Sapp was born in Conroe, Texas, on Oct. 9, 1933. Throughout his life, Allen was a leader in all he did. He graduated as valedictorian of his high school class in Columbus, Texas, in 1952 and was a four-sport letterman. In 1956, he enlisted in the United States Air Force where he had a distinguished career. During his military service, he served tours in New York, Texas, Washington, D.C., Japan, Germany, Pakistan and Spain. His service was with the USAF Security Service and the USAF Intelligence Service as a Russian linguist, intelligence analyst and reporter. He received numerous decorations, citations and commendations for his service.

While in the Air Force, he earned his bachelor’’s degree in sociology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a master’’s degree in guidance and counseling from the University of Southern California. Following his retirement in 1977, he attended Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, where he earned his doctorate in criminal justice and then served as a lecturer and research project director for two years.

Allen Sapp was a professor emeritus of criminal justice at the University of Central Missouri where he taught for 23 years. He was the recipient of several university awards for outstanding research and scholarship. He was elected to serve as the regional trustee of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences where he represented 12 states and two Canadian provinces on the academy executive board. Dr. Sapp is the author or co-author of more than 135 publications, including books, monographs, book chapters and articles, as well as several hundred technical reports.

He was a certified law enforcement instructor in several states and has been a training, research or case management consultant to more than 100 municipal, county, state, federal and international law enforcement agencies. He was a frequent lecturer at the FBI Academy and the Canadian Fire Service training for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He received a number of national appointments including the U.S. Attorney General’s Working Group on Reducing Violence in America, was designated a research fellow by the Police Executive Research Forum for outstanding contributions to professional policing. He served as a research consultant to the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Crime and to the Critical Incident Response Group. Subsequently, Dr. Sapp was appointed as one of five members of the FBI Select Commission on Critical Incidents and was later selected by the FBI to serve as the behavioral scientist— futurist.

He enjoyed life and loved his wife, his family and cherished his many friends. For the last three years, he resided at the Missouri Veteran’s Home in Warrensburg where he served as president of the Veteran’s Resident Council and was recently named as Resident Volunteer of the Year for his efforts to help serve others who live there.

He is survived by his wife, Carla Mahaffey-Sapp, of 23 years. He is also survived by son, Allen Jr., and wife, Barbara Sapp, of Huntsville, Texas; daughter, Katherine, and husband, Mark Eaker, of Blue Springs, Missouri; son, Patrick Sapp, of Palestine, Texas; daughter-in-law, Letha Sapp, of Huntsville, Texas; son, Michael, and wife, Jennifer Parks, of Golconda, Illinois; son, Jeremy, and wife, Julie Parks, of Centerview, Missouri; 17 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; multiple nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews. Additionally, he is survived by his sister, Shirley Druschke, of Longview, Texas; sister, Patsy, and brother-in-law, David Tooney, of Dubai; sister-in-law, Gaila Shaffer, of Warrensburg Missouri; sister-in-law, Debbie, and husband, Tommy Davis, of Raleigh, Illinois; and mother- and father-in-law, George and Norma Mahaffey, of Warrensburg.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Aubrey and Ethel Sapp; son, Terry Sapp; daughter, Gena Andersen; and brothers-in-law, Andy Druschke and Tom Shaffer.

Visitation will be held at the Missouri Veteran’s Home in Warrensburg at 4 p.m. Tuesday, May 19. A celebration of Allen’’s life will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 20, at the Veteran’s Home. Pallbearers will be Michael Parks, Jeremy Parks, Caleb Parks, Seth Parks, Ethan Parks, Allen Sapp Jr., and Curt Lawson. Interment will follow in the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery at Higginsville with full military honors provided by Whiteman Air Force Base Honor Guard.

The family wishes to thank the many staff, volunteers and residents of the Missouri Veteran’s Home for their loving care, friendship and support. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Warrensburg Veterans Assistance League. For more information, visit their website at http://valwbg.org/give-to-val/.

Arrangements entrusted to Williams Funeral Chapel in Warrensburg. Online condolences may be left at www.williamsfuneralchapel.net.