Carla May Allen, 80, went to Heaven on April 17, 2023 in Pensacola, FL. Carla was born in Salem, Oregon on June 14, 1942 to Maxine May Schafer Lee and William Eugene Lee. She was the eldest of her three siblings. She graduated from Cascade High School in 1960. After graduation she joined the Air Force and was stationed at Travis Air Base in Fairfield, California. While there she met and married Norman Allen in December of 1961. Carla traveled all over the world while living the military life, including Switzerland, Israel, Germany, Holland, Austria and Italy.

Back in the states they also lived in many locales such as Washington, Maryland, South Carolina, and Washington DC before finally settling in Pensacola, Florida in 1979. Carla and Norman had two children during their stints in the states, Daniel Eugene and Emily.

Carla made her life a full one while living in Pensacola. She was a member of the Army Reserve and became a hearing impaired interpreter for the Escambia County School System. She was also an active and loved member of her church, Myrtle Grove Baptist, where she did hearing interpretation for church services. She spent her retirement enriching the lives of others by sourcing donations for women’s shelters, homeless, and military members in assisted living facilities.

Carla was a crafty lady and in her spare time she loved to cross stitch, quilt, and sew. She always used her skills to help others. She enjoyed crafting and sewing pillowcases for military members and blankets for the less fortunate. She also loved to make things for family and friends, most pieces becoming family treasures that celebrated life’s milestones.

Carla also enjoyed getting out in the world and traveling. She was known to hop in her car and travel several states away all by herself. Her favorite destinations were to visit family in North Carolina, Missouri, and Oregon.

Carla loved lighthouses. She stopped to visit them on her travels, and collected items representing their form. Upon seeing a lighthouse, Carla will be in the thoughts of those who knew and loved her.

Carla was preceded in death by her parents Maxine Schafer Lee and William Eugene Lee, and daughter-in-law Mary Elizabeth Allen.

Surviving Family are her Husband of 61 years Norman Allen, her son Danny (Elizabeth Johnson), her daughter Emily, her sister Flodine Lee (Patricia Walker), brother Robert Lee, Grandchildren Dana Kent (Cody), Joshua Yohn, John Dale Highfield, Mel Chism (Chip Chism) and Philip Cote’, along with many great grandchildren and dear friends.

In lieu of flowers, donations in honor of Carla are requested to be made to groups or charities that support the hearing impaired community such as Converge (converge.org/missionary/peter-charity-dublin), HLAA (Hearing Loss Association of America at hearingloss.org)

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.oaklawnfunerals.com for the Allen Family.