Vince Castellano

Many of us never had the opportunity to say a proper goodbye to our Sensei, Teacher, Mentor, Founder, and friend Benny Allen, when he passed away in 1996—now almost 30 years ago.

We are pleased to share that his gravesite has been found, and on May 2nd, 2026, we will finally have the chance to honour him together. The memorial gathering will take place at 12:00 noon at his resting place in Castleton Cemetery, Ontario, located 7.3 miles north of Colborne, Ontario.

We cordially invite everyone who knew Benny to attend this memorial service and help us give him the farewell he deeply deserves.

As you all know, Benny was far more than just another karate teacher—he was truly special. His stable of top fighters set the gold standard in Canada throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. Names such as Tony Facetti, Wally Slocki, Teddy Marton, Gary Hales, Bill Hind, Jimmy Fields, Frankie DeLorenzis, Greg Mellor, Gary Legacy, Frank Wishart, Pat Ammondolio, Ray Greenway, Tim Collingwood, Bill Yonif, Vince Castellano, Debbie Rizzo, Frank Summers, Duane Watson, Mike McRudden, and Don Warrener, among many others, all grew up quickly in the hallowed halls—and sometimes the back alleys—of Eastern Karate.

His friends Monty Guest, Greg Tearney, Harry Villeneuve, Bobby Smith, Bob Dalgleish, and Cezar Borkowski stood witness to the hard-core training and the remarkable group of martial artists shaped under Benny’s guidance.

We hope you will join us for this special service and share your stories of this true Canadian firefighter, father, and martial arts legend.

For details, please contact us at 909-755-9454.

The service will begin promptly at 12:00 noon, rain or shine.