Carol Ann Allen

Beloved wife, mom, and grandma, Carol Ann (Notigan) Allen, of Tallahassee, FL, passed away on December 6, 2022. She was 76. Carol was born in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Burlington, New Jersey. She attended Burlington Senior High School where she played tennis, had the nickname “Boots,” and graduated in 1964. After graduation, she worked at McGuire Air Force Base in Burlington County, New Jersey. Carol moved to Gulf Breeze, FL, in 1974 and worked multiple jobs as a legal secretary and bookkeeper to make ends meet, while juggling life as a single mom with three small children. She always made sure her kids’ lives were full of love, quality time, and precious memories and was the loudest cheerleader at their school functions and sporting events. She married her husband, Marvin, on January 27, 1982, after a five-year courtship. Marvin and Carol were always on the water at Pensacola Beach, Pensacola Bay, and Santa Rosa Sound on their Boston Whaler center console boat or their Prindle catamaran sailboat, which Marvin affectionately named the “Carol Ann.” Marvin and Carol moved to Tallahassee, FL, in 1992 where all three of her children were living and she continued her career as a legal secretary at a local law firm. Her knowledge, skills, and work ethic were in great demand at the firm, and she eventually ended up juggling work for three attorneys at once. Carol took a leave of absence in 1999 to decompress and later chose not to return to work from this “sabbatical.” This cleared the way for her to have the time to tend to Marvin’s needs, keep him straight, and be a highly involved, ever-present, adored grandma who helped shape her grandchildren’s lives. Carol’s greatest joy in life was her grandchildren and she tried to never miss a moment with them. She loved the opportunity to baby-sit and cherished the time as she rocked and held them for hours on end and spoiled them rotten at her house. As when her own children were younger, she would always be the loudest cheerleader in the bleachers or audience of her grandchildren’s ball games and performances. She and Papa would always be present at Grandparents’ Days and other events at the grandkids’ schools, and she would never miss a birth, a birthday, or a graduation. Perhaps the grandkids’ fondest memories with her were “Grandma Days.” For “Grandma Day” each of the three families had a specified, weekly day on which Grandma would pick the kids up from school and take them to their practices, to get ice cream or frozen yogurt, to see a movie, or just to her house to play. The grandkids looked forward to “Grandma Day” every single week and they also chose to have regular slumber parties at Grandma’s house so they could get together with their cousins, play dress-up, watch movies, and be spoiled by Grandma. The cousins are exceptionally close, now in their teens and twenties, and their grandma played a big part in cultivating their love for family and one another. Carol loved spending time with her husband, kids, grandkids, and their circle of friends. She attended Florida State University football tailgates and parties, played bunko, spent many days on the water, and went on countless camping and beach trips over the years with her family; she was well known for packing “everything but the kitchen sink” for our trips. Somehow on these trips the grandkids always seemed to end up at Grandma and Papa’s condo or cabin, where Grandma always had their favorite snacks and drinks, especially the sweet treats they could rarely get at home, the comfiest bedding, and most fun sleeping arrangements. Carol was a confidante and steadfast supporter of all her children, grandchildren, and son- and daughters-in-law. She was always ready and eager to help, no matter what time of day or night. We will forever remember her dedication and the small things, such as her travelling to each individual home on Christmas morning so she could see the look in her kids’ and grandkids’ eyes as they opened her gifts. She was always good for a belly laugh, could be counted on to stir things up in a light-hearted way, and never missed an opportunity to make people smile. Carol will be deeply missed by her loving family, but we are comforted by the knowledge that her mind and body are now healed and she is no longer struggling or suffering. We will hold on to the memories of the smiling, laughing, loving wife, mom, grandma we always knew, and we hope she knew in her heart and soul how cherished and loved she truly was. Carol is survived by her husband of nearly 41 years, Marvin Hughel Allen, Sr.; her three children, Kenneth Robert (Melissa) Harley, Ronald Allen (Jamie) Harley, and Vicki Ann (Desmond/“Desi”) Tatilian; 11 grandchildren, Luke Beyers, Brooke Tatilian, Desmond “Corbin/Des” Tatilian, Shelby (Hunter) Harris, Tyler Copeland, Clayton Harley, Ashley Copeland, Alyssa Harley, Tristan Harley, Aidan Tatilian, and Thatcher “TJ” Harley; three great-grandchildren, Sage, Gabryel, and Zaxiery Beyers; and her brother, Donald “Don” (Shelly) Notigan, and sister, Bonnie (Thomas) Spivey. Carol was preceded in death by her parents, John Notigan and Pauline Notigan, her brother, Robert “Bob” (Diana) Notigan, her children, Marvin Allen, Jr., and Angela Allen, and her grandchild, Jennifer Allen. A funeral service will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Monday, December 19, 2022, at Bevis Funeral Home, 200 John Knox Road, Tallahassee, FL 32303. The family will be receiving visitors prior to the service, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Due to Marvin’s service in the U.S. Army, Carol will be laid to rest at the Tallahassee National Cemetery following the memorial service. Jared Padgett of Bevis Funeral Home is assisting the family with their arrangements. (850-385-2193 or www.bevisfh.com).

Tributes

Carol Ann Allen

March 23, 1946 - December 6, 2022