On June 3, 2025, friends and family gathered at the Gwinnett County Corps to celebrate the life and ministry of Lt. Colonel Allen Satterlee, who was Promoted to Glory from his home in Lawrenceville, Georgia, on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. He was 72.

Lt. Colonel Satterlee served as Editor-in-Chief and Literary Secretary for National Publications from 2011 to 2019. Over the course of his life, he wrote hundreds of articles and fourteen books, with his fifteenth currently in production with Crest Books. He submitted his last manuscript just a few weeks before his death.

As Editor-in-Chief, Lt. Colonel Allen Satterlee instituted a series of upgrades to The War Cry, YS (now Peer), Crest Books, Word & Deed and online publishing initiatives. These upgrades included cultivating contributions from Salvation Army writers, redesigning publications, changing the frequency of publication, and outreach to new audiences such as incarcerated people.

While serving in a variety of appointments around the world, Lt. Colonel Satterlee was especially fond of his time at National Headquarters. In his final issue of The War Cry as Editor-in-Chief, he wrote:

After being here for a while, I started telling people that I had been appointed to a playground. Everything about the appointment seemed to be a perfect fit: from the working environment at NHQ to the opportunity to write, from the creative process in building monthly publications to the ministry opportunities that came out of all that. I kind of felt sorry for the different national commanders because they couldn’t be in my appointment. It was my playground, and I didn’t intend to get off the swing.

Lt. Colonel Satterlee never did get off that swing after retirement, writing for the USA Southern Territory’s publications and continuing to publish books with Crest. He also mentored numerous writers in The Salvation Army, even hosting regular writer’s groups for constructive feedback and encouragement.

Allen Edward Satterlee was the middle of three sons to Don & Mary (Butters) Satterlee. He was born on April 21, 1953, at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Florida.  Soon after graduation, Allen entered Evangeline Booth College in September 1973 as a member of the Soldiers of the Cross session of cadets.

He served in corps appointments in St. Petersburg, Melbourne, and Tallahassee, Florida, and he went on to open the work in West Pasco County, Florida.

Captain Allen began dating Lieutenant Esther Sands, and the couple were married on January 2, 1982. Together, they served as corps officers in various cities before he was appointed as the director of The Salvation Army’s Southern Territorial Historical Center.

He began formal education with Liberty University and developed an impressive journalistic career writing for the Southern Spirit, The War Cry, and The Officer magazine, published at International Headquarters. He also began publishing books, beginning with Notable Quotables, followed by Sweeping Through the Land. Over the years, Allen wrote fourteen books as his career in journalism flourished, with another that is currently in the process of publication with Crest Books. His last published work was Heavenly Places Revealed (2024).

Majors Allen & Esther Satterlee were called to overseas service with editorial ministry in Singapore, Papua New Guinea, and as divisional commanders in the Western Jamaica Division. From there, Allen was named National Editor-In-Chief for the Publications Department at National Headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. With that appointment, they were promoted to the rank of Lt. Colonel. They retired from NHQ in 2019.

Making their retirement home in Lawrenceville, Georgia, Colonel Allen continued working for the Army, serving as editor of the Southern Spirit and later as Territorial Spiritual Life Development Officer.

On his own time, he maintained an online Bible study with participants from around the Army world. His love for writing included developing budding authors, and for a number of years, he conducted monthly writing classes for several small groups.

The National Publications department joins Salvationists from all over the world in celebrating the legacy of Lt. Colonel Allen Satterlee — a constant champion for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Few have done as much as Lt. Colonel Satterlee did to communicate the gospel and tell the story of The Salvation Army in the pages of Army publications. While we grieve his absence in this life, we rejoice, knowing that he has received his final promotion and now sees his Savior face to face.

Lt. Colonel Allen Satterlee is preceded in death by his brother, Bob. He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Lt. Colonel Esther Satterlee; children Jay Satterlee (Chastity), Sharon Autry (John), John Satterlee, and Anna Satterlee; his sister Melissa Montgomery and brother Major Mark Satterlee.  He was the proud grandfather of Shannon, Jayme, Kayde, Cloey, Eliana, Isaiah, Sebastion, Claudia, Jackson, and Jayden.