Harriett McKemie Allen

Harriett McKemie Allen was born in Atlanta, GA on February 22, 1928 and passed away on November 13, 2017.  She lost her mother, Harriett Askew McKemie, at birth, and her father, William McKemie as a teenager. She was raised by her father’s sister and her grandmother in West Point, GA.  After graduating from high school, she went to nursing school at Baptist Hospital in New Orleans where she met her husband, Lawrence “Red” Allen.  In 1961, Red was transferred by Sinclair Oil and the family moved to Albuquerque.  Red and Harriett were married more than 63 years when Red died in 2014.

Harriett was a registered nurse for more than 50 years, a profession she dearly loved.  She worked primarily as a newborn nursery nurse at Presbyterian Hospital and Sandia (later Kirtland) Base Hospital.  Even into her seventies, she worked as needed at a local nursing home to be the RN on duty.  She and Red were long-time members of Hoffmantown Baptist Church where Harriett volunteered in the nursery during church services.  She was unselfishly devoted to her grandchildren, and her advice saved many calls to the pediatrician.  When she retired, she did water aerobics and was in a bowling league until last fall.  She had many loyal friends to whom the family is very grateful for their love and care of Harriett.

Harriett is survived by her sister, Mary Alice Gardner; her son, Larry and his partner, Jacki Judd;  her daughters, Vivian Avalos, Laura Greenway and her partner, Craig Faw, and Carolyn Wolf and her husband, Aaron; her grandchildren, Megan and husband, Mark, Russell and wife, Lauren, Rebekah, Sarah and husband, Eric, Lawrence and wife, Bianca, Michelle and husband, Steven, Kayla and husband, Tyrone, Victoria, Madison, Laurel and Ella; and her great-grandchildren, Rafeef, June, and Maverick.

Memorial Services will be held Wednesday, November 15, 2017, 2:30 p.m., at FRENCH – Wyoming with a reception to follow.