WEST LEBANON, NEW HAMPSHIRE- Caroll Leigh Allen, 52, passed away on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2007 at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, after a brief illness, with his loving wife, Shirlene, at his bedside. Caroll and Shirlene were just two days shy of celebrating their 32nd wedding anniversary. Caroll was born Sept. 24, 1955 in Presque Isle, the son of Velma Margaret (Wilcox) Allen and the late Raymond Clifford Allen.
He was educated in local schools and graduated from Presque Isle High School, class of 1974. On Nov. 8, 1975 Caroll married Shirlene Joy (Turner) Allen, a young woman he met at his twin brother’s and her sister’s wedding. Caroll was employed briefly at the Northeastland Hotel before working as a security guard for Skippy Caroll’s. After the birth of their three children, Caroll and Shirlene moved their family to Western New Hampshire. There Caroll began working for the Bernice A. Ray School in Hanover. He was devoted to the school system for fourteen years before becoming employed by Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. After four years of dedicated service and volunteering in the ER, Caroll entered into retirement due to declining health.
Caroll had many interests. He enjoyed camping, hunting, fishing and spending quality time with his family. He was an avid reader and would often sit for hours reading up on everything pertaining to, Mt. Everest, JFK, his beloved Red Sox and his favorite rock and roll icon, Elvis Presley. Some say Caroll may have taken his fanaticism too far when he gave the family’s first pet, a miniature collie the name ‘King’. Caroll would often be overheard schooling his grandchildren on Elvis history and trivia which they listened to with eager ears because Grampa was (as he referred to himself as) a self-proclaimed Elvis historian.
Caroll’s family will forever remember a genuine and sincere man with a tough shell and sarcastic sense of humor who oozed with infectious laughter.
Caroll’s father, Raymond Clifford Allen predeceased him in 1981. He was also predeceased by four brothers, Patrick Cote and Gary Fitzgerald in 1997 and Clayton and Hazen Allen. Surviving are his wife and best friend of 32 wonderful years, Shirlene Joy (Turner) Allen of Lebanon, N.H.; two daughters, Jennifer Joy Allen of Littleton, NH and Rosalynn Mae (Billy) Lyons of Lebanon, NH; and a son, Heath Jason Allen of Portland, ME. Caroll also leaves behind two granddaughters, Emily Mae Lyons of Lebanon, NH, and Isabelle Marceline Allen of Littleton, NH; two grandsons, Zachary Todd Fisher and Austin Lawrence Fisher, both of Littleton, NH; his mother, Velma Margaret (Wilcox) Allen of Waldorf, MD; five sisters, Janice (Bill) Anderson of Waldorf, MD, Linda (Louis) Cerejioli of Jacksonville, FL, Gloria (Daniel) Genzale of Massapequa, Long Island, NY, Velda Williams of Old Town, ME, and Delores (Anthony) Mondloch of Fostoria, OH; two brothers, his twin brother Carl (Charlene) Allen of Westfield, ME and Roger (Pearl) Fitzgerald of Washburn, ME. Other survivors include a large extended family of nieces, nephews, cousins and numerous friends.
Memories, pressed between the pages of my mind.
Memories, sweetened through the ages just like wine.
Quiet thoughts come floating down,
And settle softly to the ground,
Like golden Autumn leaves around my feet.
I touched them and they burst apart with sweet memories
Of holding hands and red bouquets,
And twilight trimmed in purple haze,
And laughing eyes and simple ways,
And quiet nights and gentle days with you.
Relatives and friends called from 6-8 p.m. Sunday at the Duncan-Graves Funeral Home, 30 Church Street, Presque Isle. Funeral services were held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, Nov. 12, 2007, at the funeral home with his nephew Stanley Norman Harris, III officiating. Interment was in Fairmount Cemetery, Presque Isle. Following the burial a reception was held at State Street Baptist Church in Presque Isle. Condolences may be expressed at www.duncan-graves.com.
