Last Saturday evening, J. and Marion Allan were sitting on the porch of their home in Powell shortly before dinner. Eighty-year-old J. told Marion, his wife of just two years, that these were the happiest days of his life. And he told her how much he loved her.
Thirty minutes later, as Marion was in the kitchen preparing a salad and baked potatoes to go with the steaks J. was grilling, J. took a terrible fall on the stairs, resulting in massive internal head injuries. He passed away at St. Mary’s North later that night.
“He said, ‘We are so blessed and I love you so much,'” Marion recalls. “It was so sweet.”
J. and Marion Allan on their wedding day in 2007
Marion, lovingly referred to as “the voice of Moxley Carmichael,” has been our receptionist for 10 years. Other than Alan and me, she is our longest-term employee. All of us were delighted when J. and Marion married on March 31, 2007 after a six-month courtship. When anyone asked if it seemed a little fast, Marion would repeat what J. had told her when he proposed: “At our age, we don’t need to waste any time.”
I’ve never seen anyone as actively happy as Marion and J. Twice a day – at around 10 and around 3 – even though she tried to be discreet, we’d hear Marion call J., ask him what he was doing, chat for a few minutes and then hang up, saying, “I love you, baby.”
Every day when Marion got home around 6, J. would be standing in the driveway to meet her. If it was raining, he’d open the garage and stand in there until she pulled up. He doted on Marion’s little sheltie, Molly, and he loved to have Marion join him in listening to his beloved jazz music on the sound system at home. He regularly took her to hear the Knoxville Symphony and he always accompanied her to events our company sponsored. He was probably the happiest guy you’d see at the Moxley Carmichael table!
But the time they enjoyed most was the time they spent on Norris Lake, which was almost every weekend when the weather was nice. They loved zipping along the water in their 21-foot Sea Ray boat named “Second Time Around” – J. was widowed, Marion divorced. They recently bought the new boat, Marion said, because J. “got tired of people passing us by” in the pontoon boat they used to own.
J. was laid to rest Thursday in Greenwood Cemetery. A retired TVA engineer, he also had served in the U.S. Army and so his funeral was marked by a 21-gun salute. I am just so grateful for J. and the joy he brought Marion the past few years.
Marion says there are lessons in their story. “Never take love for granted,” she advises. “Love to the fullest every day. Love as if it could be your last day. Don’t focus on the small things. Value what you have.”
I will always remember hearing Marion answer the phone here at the office when J. called. It was always, “Hello there, sweetheart. Whatcha up to?” He was a lovely man who was clearly besotted with his wonderful wife. I’ve rarely seen a couple so much in love. We will miss him and think of him often.
When I first came to work at Moxley Carmichael, I was newly divorced and a bit discouraged with the single life. Marion shared her story with me about practically giving up on finding someone to share her life with and just then she met J. I will always remember feeling her love for J. through that story . It always warmed my heart to hear her on the phone with her “sweetheart”. While the time they had together was not near enough, the impression their love for one another has left upon so many of us will last our lifetime.
I remember when Marion called into the KSO to order tickets and change her name. She was so happy to tell me her name was now Allan. Yes, Marion is always happy, but this was special. Me, an over middle aged forever single lady, had to have the little discussion about this. She reminded me that it is never too late. It can happen to anyone, anytime. Marion inspired me to know that the future is always open, not to close my mind and my heart.
I don’t know Marion that well, but from the day she came to the KSO six years ago to teach us girls in the
Box Office how to keep a smile on our face and in our voice, I knew she was a very special lady. J must have had the same qualities, and he was a lucky man to have shared this kind of warmth and sweetness to the end. I am so glad they had this time together.
With heartfelt sympathy.
The warmth that radiated between Marion and J was special and palpable. How wonderful it is that they were able to find each other and share so much, in what was of course way too short a period of time. All of us can certainly learn something of great value from their happy story.
This was a wonderful post, Cynthia.
Marion always jokes that I was the first to hear they were getting married because my office was next to her desk, and I enjoyed hearing those daily calls. There was no hiding the love and the enthusiasm in her voice.
I’ve never seen two people who complimented each other so well and I know they enjoyed every moment together. We should all be so lucky. Thanks for sharing their story. 🙂
With my office located directly across from Marion’s desk, I was privy to her daily phone calls to J. She bubbled over with undeniable joy when she talked with him – the same way J. did every time I saw him with Marion on his arm. It was so refreshing for someone my age to witness that kind of youthful, passionate, unapologetic love between Marion and J. at their age. Their love story taught us all a lot about living and loving to the fullest.
I have never been called Sweetheart, except by Marion, and believed it unconditionally. Lucky J., lucky me and all of us blessed by Marion.
Sweet comments, everybody. I know Marion appreciates her friends now more than ever.
I think I will try to recommend this post to my friends and family, cuz it’s really helpful.
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