Carol Coghlan Allen

Carol Coghlan Allen, 89, died peacefully of natural causes on Sunday morning, September 10, at Stewart Health Center at Springmoor in North Raleigh. Mrs. Allen was born in New York City on January 12, 1928. She was the daughter of Walter and Florence Coghlan, of New York, NY, Fort Lauderdale FL, and Hendersonville, NC.

Mrs. Allen graduated from Florida State College for Women with a Bachelor of Science in Sociology in 1949. She was active in various organizations in her collegiate years, a member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority and a competitor on the synchronized swimming team.

In the spring of 1949, Mrs. Allen met the love of her life, Rufus Couch Allen of Raleigh, while on vacation in Hendersonville, NC. They were joined in holy matrimony on September 10, 1949. This is quite notable as she left our world to be reunited with her husband on what would have been their 68th wedding anniversary.

Mrs. Allen was immersed in numerous activities within the Raleigh community. She served for years as a Girl Scout Leader for her daughter’s troop. She was an enthusiastic and devoted member of the Women’s Club of Raleigh, serving in various capacities, including heading the Gift Gallery. In that role, her search for interesting and unique artisan crafted items took her to many places across the state of North Carolina. She was a noted Docent at the North Carolina Governor’s Mansion, and thoroughly enjoyed aiding tour groups interested in the distinctive history of the Old North State. She and her husband Rufus shared a passion for the psychology and finer points of parenting. They were knowledgably engaged with various courses and teachings in the field and became certified instructors in Parent Effectiveness Training (PET). Together they taught numerous PET courses to interested couples, including many friends and acquaintances.

Throughout her adult life, Mrs. Allen was actively engaged in several hobbies. She was an accomplished, avid bridge player, belonging to multiple bridge clubs, often playing 3 or 4 times a week. She enjoyed arts and crafts, particularly sewing, knitting, cross-stitch and needlepoint. All of her children admiringly display her cross-stitch and needlepoint creations in their homes. She was a member of the Bernina sewing club, often delighting her husband and children with the presentation of fine hand-made garments. She began what became an annual tradition in the Allen household - hand-crafting Christmas decorations for the home and ornaments for the tree, which grew to be something of a competition everyone in the family energetically participated in. She loved multiple genres of music, notably classical, Jazz, some pop, and of course, Frank Sinatra! She and Rufus were patrons of the North Carolina Symphony for many years and regularly delighted in the annual concert series. She was a voracious lifelong reader on myriad subjects, spanning history to politics to novels, and always enjoyed engaging in topical discussion and debate.

Of greatest import to Mrs. Allen was her husband of 57 years and her 3 children. She was a devoted and loving wife, a nurturing and wonderful mother who could always be counted on by her children--warm, kind, generous and caring. Instilling the appropriate values in her children through example was essential to her. For many years, in the early stage of her husband’s career, his management consulting business took him away from home on frequent trips often lasting several weeks, thus she had an amplified role in raising her children and managing the household affairs. She served as secretary to her husband, and was an accomplished writer and typist. She became a gourmet cook and loved various fine cuisine accompanied by the appropriate wine. She enjoyed entertaining, and together with her husband

engendered a home that for many years was a busy and happy place, frequented by friends of virtually everyone in the family.

Mrs. Allen is survived by her sons, Michael Coghlan Allen of Richmond, VA, Lee Richardson Allen of Atlanta, GA; her daughter, Barbara Allen Cates of Raleigh; by eight grandchildren and one great granddaughter.

A memorial service will be held 1:00 p.m. Sunday at White Memorial Presbyterian Church, Davidson Chapel.

The family will receive friends at the church following the service at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to White Memorial Presbyterian Church, 1704 Oberlin Road Raleigh, NC 27608.

Arrangements by Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, Saint Mary's St., Raleigh, NC.