Blanche Marie Gilliland Allen was born September 22, 1949 and passed away August 3, 2024. Marie is survived by her spouse, Scott Anthony Allen; sibling, Wayne Gilliland; children, Meredith Morris and Emily Webb; and grandchildren, William, Maggie, Sybil, Lucius and Ruby. A wonderful wife of 55 years, a devoted sibling to her brother, the kindest mama with which two ladies could be blessed, a precious Grammy to five adoring grandchildren—these are just a whisper of the countless beautiful descriptions from the lives she has touched during her almost seventy five years. Born and raised in Memphis, she grew up grounded in a Christ filled household. After marrying Scott at age nineteen, together they moved to Washington, DC where he was stationed as an army draftee. While there, she secured a job at the Pentagon doing various projects; in particular working on the paperwork for, and watching the first test flights of the F-14 Tomcat. After moving back to Tennessee, she began her long term career in the US Army Corps of Engineers finance department where she assisted with various Mississippi River projects, and worked within multiple programs such as employee assistance for those deployed for disaster relief during Hurricane Katrina. During her tenure, she was most thankful for the relationships built and she took many lasting friendships with her into her retirement. In her home life, she devoted herself to serving her family. Ever desiring to make all experiences memorable for her two girls, Meredith and Emily, she would happily sew outfits/costumes, bake cookies, decorate, craft, bargain hunt, etc for any occasion requiring that extra special touch. Blanketed over it all, was her unwavering faith in the Lord, her desire to live a life reflecting Him. She faithfully served in church and others wherever there was a need. In her lifetime, she played the accordion in the church orchestra, eventually transitioning to the alto section in various ensembles and choirs. With theater being a long-time interest of hers, she acted and directed many church plays/musicals/skits and was often asked to deliver poignant presentations for holidays such as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. She taught countless children in Sunday School classes over the years and any one of them would tell you, she was an exceptional storyteller. Her legacy is rich and extends beyond what even she could imagine. She was ever thankful for the years the Lord gave her, and used them wisely and for His purpose. A memorial service will be held Saturday, August 17 at 1:00 pm at Grace Church: Nashville. No flowers necessary but if you must, Wild Root Florist in Spring Hill is the preferred florist.
