Allen Paul Schembri

Staatsburg - Allen Paul Schembri was born on May 11, 1949 in Brooklyn, New York. He spent his early childhood in Brooklyn and then Babylon, New York. He moved to Hyde Park, New York with his family as a sophomore in high school and became a lifelong Hudson Valley resident.
Allen was a loving husband to his wife, Elizabeth ("Liz"), for 52 years. They were married at St. James' Church in Hyde Park and settled in Rhinebeck, New York where they raised their children, Cara and Christopher. In retirement, they moved nearby to Staatsburg where Allen loved tending to his thriving gardens and living closer to the nature and wildlife of the Hudson Valley. He and Liz were members of the Church of the Messiah in Rhinebeck and actively supported the ESL program.
Allen was a lifelong learner with a voracious appetite for books, with 2-3 in circulation at all times. He was known for his way with words and wrote poems for his wife and children on birthdays and special occasions. Allen had a notebook where he wrote down new vocabulary words everyday. He and his family played The New York Times Spelling Bee game together and achieved Queen Bee(!) on the morning of his passing. Recently, Allen was studying French. He was obsessed with sports and fitness. He was a high school wrestler and soccer player, and, as an adult, was an avid runner and marathoner, tennis player, biker, kayaker, and hiker. Allen felt great joy in cheering on the Rhinebeck High School soccer team at their games. He was also competitive and spared no one; he loved to beat his grandchildren (who called him "Bepa") in ping pong and air hockey. Allen is the reigning Scrabble champion of the family. He was proud of his Italian heritage and especially loved an Italian feast. Allen loved to travel and was excited about an upcoming trip to Dublin and London, but his favorite trips were to Asheville, NC and Brooklyn, NY to spend time with his children and grandchildren.
Allen earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Bard College, a masters in clinical psychology from The New School for Social Research, and multiple advanced degrees. He worked as a clinical psychologist for 35 years, devoting his entire career to providing compassionate care to people with developmental disabilities and special needs. Allen had a deep connection with his clients and maintained these bonds long into his retirement.
Allen is predeceased by his parents, Charles and Lena Schembri, and his brothers, Glenn and Charles Schembri. He is survived by his devoted wife Liz Schembri, his loving children and their spouses, Cara Schembri (John-Ryan Hevron) and Chris Schembri (Brooke), and five adoring grandchildren.
Allen died suddenly of natural causes on the morning of October 13, 2025. His family thanks the Hyde Park EMTs and police officers who arrived quickly and provided compassionate and professional services.
A service will be held on Saturday, October 18 at 11:00am at the Church of the Messiah in Rhinebeck, with a reception to celebrate Allen's love-filled life immediately following at the Parish Hall.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Allen's memory can be made to Breakthrough Type 1 (formerly the Breakthrough Type 1 Diabetes (Formerly JDRF)) https://tinyurl.com/2rpnydvs and to the Church of the Messiah by mailing a check to Church of the Messiah, 6436 Montgomery Street, Rhinebeck, NY 12572 Attn: Outreach Emergency Fund.
Arrangements under direction of the Dapson Chestney Funeral Home, Rhinebeck, NY.
To send an online condolence please visit www.dapsonchestney.com