The following are excerpts from an article written for the Cayman Compass, June 13, 2019, by Kayla Young & John Burnett:
"Writer, artist Gretchen Allen passes away at age 74"
"If anything, Gretchen Allen was a writer. Those who knew her best remember a woman overflowing with poetry, stories and musings about life.
The term writer only captures a fraction of who Allen was, however. Through a life of travel and adventure, she also found herself in the roles of newspaper journalist, broadcaster, photographer, actress, artist, equestrian, scuba diver and race car driver. The list goes on.
A resident of Cayman for more than 35 years, Allen, 74, died Monday at Cayman Islands Hospital.
Allen was so stylish, in fact, that in 2010, she won the award for 'Most Breakfast at Tiffany's-Inspired' look at The Ritz-Carlton's Little Black Dress Party.
She was positive, always fun and thinking of everybody.
She had been an orphan before her adoption by an affluent family in Chicago. She grew up in Sarasota, Florida, and went on to pursue journalism and writing.
Over the years, she reported for the Caymanian Compass, Associated Press and Dallas Morning News, among other publications. Her varied interests and passion for life resulted in a diverse writing portfolio, including news, travel and food reviews, and celebrity interviews.
For a time, she taught writing at an artists' colony in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
When Hurricane Ivan struck Cayman in 2004, Allen reported on the category 5 storm for the Associated Press, even as she was sorting through the devastation it had left in her own life.
She described the destruction of her home as a "miasma of muck, mud and mire", according to the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands.
Her expansive photographic collection, documenting her professional and personal life, was destroyed by the storm. As she attempted to salvage the images, their colours dripped from the prints, washing away a life of memories.
Those photographs remained stored away for many years, until Allen found the courage to revisit them in 2017, to find a convergence of ink and colour had transformed her photographs into abstract art.
Her expansive photographic collection, documenting her professional and personal life, was destroyed by the storm. As she attempted to salvage the images, their colours dripped from the prints, washing away a life of memories.
Those photographs remained stored away for many years, until Allen found the courage to revisit them in 2017, to find a convergence of ink and colour had transformed her photographs into abstract art.
She displayed an assortment of the images at the National Gallery in 2018, in an exhibit titled 'Through Ivan's Eye'.
On the opening night, Allen told the Compass, "I am a writer. I never expected to have an art exhibit and I wouldn't have if it hadn't been for the terrible effects of Hurricane Ivan, which so many of us went through. … Despite that, Ivan left a very surprising gift."
Allen served as social secretary to former Governor Alan Scott, who served from 1987 to 1992, and his wife Joan Hall Scott. A talented equestrian, she offered to help care for Joan Hall Scott's horse, Williams said. That position was a stepping stone to her role as social secretary.
Here is one final poem from her, titled 'Epitaph', as an example of her humility:
I am but
a candle
a flame
inside my head
the wax
of my life
melting down
drip by drip
until
at last
I am extinguished
and I am
dead"
Further notes from another source: She 1st married Steve Louden in 1965 and moved to Tallahassee, FL so that he could finish his last year in college while Gretchen was an editor for the woman's department in the local newspaper there. They then vacationed in Europe and from there moved to Dallas where her husband successfully raced sports car, Gretchen became editor for the Dallas Morning News. After their marriage ended in 1972, she went to Mexico. Her 2nd husband, Mr. Allen from Sarasota, FL, did set construction for the circus. He built a transparent plastic boat which appeared, along with Gretchen in a 2-page spread in National Geographic Magazine. After her divorce from him, she moved to Grand Cayman and became Social Secretary to the Governor's wife.
Gretchen's adopted parents were Howard R. Heinz & Dorothy Kinder Heinz. She had 1 brother.
"Writer, artist Gretchen Allen passes away at age 74"
"If anything, Gretchen Allen was a writer. Those who knew her best remember a woman overflowing with poetry, stories and musings about life.
The term writer only captures a fraction of who Allen was, however. Through a life of travel and adventure, she also found herself in the roles of newspaper journalist, broadcaster, photographer, actress, artist, equestrian, scuba diver and race car driver. The list goes on.
A resident of Cayman for more than 35 years, Allen, 74, died Monday at Cayman Islands Hospital.
Allen was so stylish, in fact, that in 2010, she won the award for 'Most Breakfast at Tiffany's-Inspired' look at The Ritz-Carlton's Little Black Dress Party.
She was positive, always fun and thinking of everybody.
She had been an orphan before her adoption by an affluent family in Chicago. She grew up in Sarasota, Florida, and went on to pursue journalism and writing.
Over the years, she reported for the Caymanian Compass, Associated Press and Dallas Morning News, among other publications. Her varied interests and passion for life resulted in a diverse writing portfolio, including news, travel and food reviews, and celebrity interviews.
For a time, she taught writing at an artists' colony in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
When Hurricane Ivan struck Cayman in 2004, Allen reported on the category 5 storm for the Associated Press, even as she was sorting through the devastation it had left in her own life.
She described the destruction of her home as a "miasma of muck, mud and mire", according to the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands.
Her expansive photographic collection, documenting her professional and personal life, was destroyed by the storm. As she attempted to salvage the images, their colours dripped from the prints, washing away a life of memories.
Those photographs remained stored away for many years, until Allen found the courage to revisit them in 2017, to find a convergence of ink and colour had transformed her photographs into abstract art.
Her expansive photographic collection, documenting her professional and personal life, was destroyed by the storm. As she attempted to salvage the images, their colours dripped from the prints, washing away a life of memories.
Those photographs remained stored away for many years, until Allen found the courage to revisit them in 2017, to find a convergence of ink and colour had transformed her photographs into abstract art.
She displayed an assortment of the images at the National Gallery in 2018, in an exhibit titled 'Through Ivan's Eye'.
On the opening night, Allen told the Compass, "I am a writer. I never expected to have an art exhibit and I wouldn't have if it hadn't been for the terrible effects of Hurricane Ivan, which so many of us went through. … Despite that, Ivan left a very surprising gift."
Allen served as social secretary to former Governor Alan Scott, who served from 1987 to 1992, and his wife Joan Hall Scott. A talented equestrian, she offered to help care for Joan Hall Scott's horse, Williams said. That position was a stepping stone to her role as social secretary.
Here is one final poem from her, titled 'Epitaph', as an example of her humility:
I am but
a candle
a flame
inside my head
the wax
of my life
melting down
drip by drip
until
at last
I am extinguished
and I am
dead"
Further notes from another source: She 1st married Steve Louden in 1965 and moved to Tallahassee, FL so that he could finish his last year in college while Gretchen was an editor for the woman's department in the local newspaper there. They then vacationed in Europe and from there moved to Dallas where her husband successfully raced sports car, Gretchen became editor for the Dallas Morning News. After their marriage ended in 1972, she went to Mexico. Her 2nd husband, Mr. Allen from Sarasota, FL, did set construction for the circus. He built a transparent plastic boat which appeared, along with Gretchen in a 2-page spread in National Geographic Magazine. After her divorce from him, she moved to Grand Cayman and became Social Secretary to the Governor's wife.
Gretchen's adopted parents were Howard R. Heinz & Dorothy Kinder Heinz. She had 1 brother.
The following are excerpts from an article written for the Cayman Compass, June 13, 2019, by Kayla Young & John Burnett:
"Writer, artist Gretchen Allen passes away at age 74"
"If anything, Gretchen Allen was a writer. Those who knew her best remember a woman overflowing with poetry, stories and musings about life.
The term writer only captures a fraction of who Allen was, however. Through a life of travel and adventure, she also found herself in the roles of newspaper journalist, broadcaster, photographer, actress, artist, equestrian, scuba diver and race car driver. The list goes on.
A resident of Cayman for more than 35 years, Allen, 74, died Monday at Cayman Islands Hospital.
Allen was so stylish, in fact, that in 2010, she won the award for 'Most Breakfast at Tiffany's-Inspired' look at The Ritz-Carlton's Little Black Dress Party.
She was positive, always fun and thinking of everybody.
She had been an orphan before her adoption by an affluent family in Chicago. She grew up in Sarasota, Florida, and went on to pursue journalism and writing.
Over the years, she reported for the Caymanian Compass, Associated Press and Dallas Morning News, among other publications. Her varied interests and passion for life resulted in a diverse writing portfolio, including news, travel and food reviews, and celebrity interviews.
For a time, she taught writing at an artists' colony in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
When Hurricane Ivan struck Cayman in 2004, Allen reported on the category 5 storm for the Associated Press, even as she was sorting through the devastation it had left in her own life.
She described the destruction of her home as a "miasma of muck, mud and mire", according to the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands.
Her expansive photographic collection, documenting her professional and personal life, was destroyed by the storm. As she attempted to salvage the images, their colours dripped from the prints, washing away a life of memories.
Those photographs remained stored away for many years, until Allen found the courage to revisit them in 2017, to find a convergence of ink and colour had transformed her photographs into abstract art.
Her expansive photographic collection, documenting her professional and personal life, was destroyed by the storm. As she attempted to salvage the images, their colours dripped from the prints, washing away a life of memories.
Those photographs remained stored away for many years, until Allen found the courage to revisit them in 2017, to find a convergence of ink and colour had transformed her photographs into abstract art.
She displayed an assortment of the images at the National Gallery in 2018, in an exhibit titled 'Through Ivan's Eye'.
On the opening night, Allen told the Compass, "I am a writer. I never expected to have an art exhibit and I wouldn't have if it hadn't been for the terrible effects of Hurricane Ivan, which so many of us went through. … Despite that, Ivan left a very surprising gift."
Allen served as social secretary to former Governor Alan Scott, who served from 1987 to 1992, and his wife Joan Hall Scott. A talented equestrian, she offered to help care for Joan Hall Scott's horse, Williams said. That position was a stepping stone to her role as social secretary.
Here is one final poem from her, titled 'Epitaph', as an example of her humility:
I am but
a candle
a flame
inside my head
the wax
of my life
melting down
drip by drip
until
at last
I am extinguished
and I am
dead"
Further notes from another source: She 1st married Steve Louden in 1965 and moved to Tallahassee, FL so that he could finish his last year in college while Gretchen was an editor for the woman's department in the local newspaper there. They then vacationed in Europe and from there moved to Dallas where her husband successfully raced sports car, Gretchen became editor for the Dallas Morning News. After their marriage ended in 1972, she went to Mexico. Her 2nd husband, Mr. Allen from Sarasota, FL, did set construction for the circus. He built a transparent plastic boat which appeared, along with Gretchen in a 2-page spread in National Geographic Magazine. After her divorce from him, she moved to Grand Cayman and became Social Secretary to the Governor's wife.
Gretchen's adopted parents were Howard R. Heinz & Dorothy Kinder Heinz. She had 1 brother.
"Writer, artist Gretchen Allen passes away at age 74"
"If anything, Gretchen Allen was a writer. Those who knew her best remember a woman overflowing with poetry, stories and musings about life.
The term writer only captures a fraction of who Allen was, however. Through a life of travel and adventure, she also found herself in the roles of newspaper journalist, broadcaster, photographer, actress, artist, equestrian, scuba diver and race car driver. The list goes on.
A resident of Cayman for more than 35 years, Allen, 74, died Monday at Cayman Islands Hospital.
Allen was so stylish, in fact, that in 2010, she won the award for 'Most Breakfast at Tiffany's-Inspired' look at The Ritz-Carlton's Little Black Dress Party.
She was positive, always fun and thinking of everybody.
She had been an orphan before her adoption by an affluent family in Chicago. She grew up in Sarasota, Florida, and went on to pursue journalism and writing.
Over the years, she reported for the Caymanian Compass, Associated Press and Dallas Morning News, among other publications. Her varied interests and passion for life resulted in a diverse writing portfolio, including news, travel and food reviews, and celebrity interviews.
For a time, she taught writing at an artists' colony in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
When Hurricane Ivan struck Cayman in 2004, Allen reported on the category 5 storm for the Associated Press, even as she was sorting through the devastation it had left in her own life.
She described the destruction of her home as a "miasma of muck, mud and mire", according to the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands.
Her expansive photographic collection, documenting her professional and personal life, was destroyed by the storm. As she attempted to salvage the images, their colours dripped from the prints, washing away a life of memories.
Those photographs remained stored away for many years, until Allen found the courage to revisit them in 2017, to find a convergence of ink and colour had transformed her photographs into abstract art.
Her expansive photographic collection, documenting her professional and personal life, was destroyed by the storm. As she attempted to salvage the images, their colours dripped from the prints, washing away a life of memories.
Those photographs remained stored away for many years, until Allen found the courage to revisit them in 2017, to find a convergence of ink and colour had transformed her photographs into abstract art.
She displayed an assortment of the images at the National Gallery in 2018, in an exhibit titled 'Through Ivan's Eye'.
On the opening night, Allen told the Compass, "I am a writer. I never expected to have an art exhibit and I wouldn't have if it hadn't been for the terrible effects of Hurricane Ivan, which so many of us went through. … Despite that, Ivan left a very surprising gift."
Allen served as social secretary to former Governor Alan Scott, who served from 1987 to 1992, and his wife Joan Hall Scott. A talented equestrian, she offered to help care for Joan Hall Scott's horse, Williams said. That position was a stepping stone to her role as social secretary.
Here is one final poem from her, titled 'Epitaph', as an example of her humility:
I am but
a candle
a flame
inside my head
the wax
of my life
melting down
drip by drip
until
at last
I am extinguished
and I am
dead"
Further notes from another source: She 1st married Steve Louden in 1965 and moved to Tallahassee, FL so that he could finish his last year in college while Gretchen was an editor for the woman's department in the local newspaper there. They then vacationed in Europe and from there moved to Dallas where her husband successfully raced sports car, Gretchen became editor for the Dallas Morning News. After their marriage ended in 1972, she went to Mexico. Her 2nd husband, Mr. Allen from Sarasota, FL, did set construction for the circus. He built a transparent plastic boat which appeared, along with Gretchen in a 2-page spread in National Geographic Magazine. After her divorce from him, she moved to Grand Cayman and became Social Secretary to the Governor's wife.
Gretchen's adopted parents were Howard R. Heinz & Dorothy Kinder Heinz. She had 1 brother.
