Carmen Alvara Allen

Carmen Alvara Allen joined her beloved husband, E. Dale Allen, in Heaven on July 14, 2020. She was born in LaFayette, Alabama on August 4, 1925, and spent her childhood in Havana, Cuba, where her late father managed the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank. Her parents were Henry Clarke Frazer and Alicia Gijon Frazer (Alvara always made it clear there is no “little i” in Frazer!). When her parents returned from Cuba to the United States, they and Alvara lived in New Orleans and Atlanta. Alvara attended Agnes Scott College in Atlanta, and met her “soon to be husband,” E. Dale Allen, while working at the Emory University Library. They were married June 24, 1944, and thereafter lived in New Orleans, Memphis, and Birmingham during E. Dale’s Naval Service. In 1949, following his Naval service, Alvara moved with E. Dale Allen to White Pine, Tennessee where E. Dale established his medical practice and Alvara established a home and a life for herself and family. E. Dale and Alvara made a wonderful home for their three children, Claude Frazer Allen (Kimberly), Rebecca Taylor Cooper (Lyle), and Dale Clarke Allen (Carolyn). After the culture shock of moving from Havana to New Orleans to Atlanta to Memphis to White Pine, Alvara adjusted well and was a blessing to her White Pine Community, as well as to White Pine United Methodist Church and her friends and family. When her children were well on the way to being raised, she reentered college and completed her degree at Carson Newman University with high honors. Fluent in Spanish (as a result of having a Spanish mother and living in Cuba) she taught school and even interpreted for childbirth deliveries for her husband, as well as at Morristown Hamblen Hospital. She was active in the Lakeway Medical Auxiliary of East Tennessee. She was a Girl Scout and Cub Scout leader and for years an active member and leader at First United Methodist Church of White Pine. She loved her community and, like Ruth in the Bible, loved her husband’s people in White Pine who became her people. At her passing, she and E. Dale had six grandchildren and ten great grandchildren. She was proud of them all. While she will be sorely missed, her family and friends know that as a Servant of Jesus Christ, she is now with E. Dale in a wonderful realm. The family would like to express their deep appreciation to her companion and caregiver Judy Norton, her physician Dr. Richard Carter and his staff, and to the entire staff of Jefferson Park at Dandridge. In this time of COVID-19 Pandemic, the family is planning a private graveside interment and at a later date anticipates having a Memorial and Celebration of Life Service for Alvara at a later time. Those wishing to honor Alvara’s memory may consider memorials to the First United Methodist Church of White Pine, Inc., P. O. Box 146, White Pine, TN 37890.