Gloria Karlene Allen

Gloria Karlene Allen was born in the Northern California Bay Area in Oakland, California on 17 February 1944 to Karl and Iona Dolly Heinemann. Gloria was raised and grew up in Oakland, California until she finished High School and started business school. She was introduced by her best friend to her husband Robert D. Allen - doctorate student at UCLA in Los Angeles, California. Gloria and Robert married in August 1965 in Oakland, California.

Gloria and Robert lived in different places due to Robert's science research work. After they married, Gloria and her husband lived husband lived in Los Angeles, California. While in  Los Angeles, Gloria was introduced to the Baha'i Faith by Native American Sand Painting Artist - David Villasenor. Gloria and Robert then moved to Vancouver, Canada. After a year they then moved to Indiana, then decided to move to Morgantown, West Virginia to work for West Virginia University. While in Morgantown, Gloria became increasingly active in the Baha' I Faith serving on the  local spiritual assembly and a national committee. 

Gloria attended a Baha'I conference and was told by a Baha' I Hand of the cause to go to school to study the Russian language so she could teach people in Russia about the Baha'I Faith. Gloria enrolled at West Virginia University (WVU), completed her studies and obtained her Bachelors' degree of Liberal Arts in the Russian language in August 1979. During the early years of her studies, she took her first international trip to Russia as part of her studies, where she also had the opportunity to visit England, France and Holland.
While studying for her Bachelors' degree she had two sons - Ryan born January 1977, then Kevin born August 1978. Due to jobs in Academics, Gloria and Robert continued to move with their two sons throughout the USA, living for some time in Ohio and Minnesota, then returned to Southern California until her son finished High School. Gloria continued to serve on local Baha'I assemblies in Ohio and California.

While living in California raising her teenage sons, Gloria found she had breast cancer. Her doctor operated and was able to remove the cancer making her a breast cancer survivor. It was also during these years in California, Gloria traveled for her Baha'I pilgrimage to the Baha'I holy land in Haifa, Israel. Gloria enjoyed working for a elementary school in Apple Valley, California as an office assistant.
After Gloria's youngest son, Kevin, finished high school and moved to Las Vegas to attend UNLV, Gloria and Robert moved to northern California, where Gloria worked at Bosch Baha'I school as an office assistant. Gloria and Robert then decided to move to Las Vegas, NV to be closer to their son Kevin, where Gloria resided until she passed. During her last twenty years in Las Vegas, Gloria found she once again had breast cancer and her doctor was again able to do the surgery to remove the cancer, making her a breast cancer survivor twice. Gloria continued to be active in local Las Vegas Baha'I communities, continued to serve on local Baha'I assemblies and teach youth classes.

Gloria loved to travel internationally and explore many exotic destinations around the world. While her son Kevin studied in France, Gloria enjoyed exploring the city of Paris spending much time in the Louvre and Orsay art museums. Also, during her time in Las Vegas, due to her and her families love of travel, Gloria and her family opened up a travel business specializing, in cruise ship travel from 2006 until 2014. During this time Gloria and her family enjoyed much international travel going to world destinations including India, Europe, Africa, Caribbean, Mexico, Panama and Alaska. One of her favorite trips was to India where she got to visit the Baha'I House of Worship in Delhi, India. 

Gloria's other favorite International  trip was to visit her bestfriend and "heart sister"- Apollonia, in Tanzania, Africa, where she took ten days on a Africa Safari. Gloria loved to watch the animals in the Tanzanian national parks. Gloria is survived by her husband, Robert Allen and two sons - Ryan and Kevin. Gloria's friends have quoted the following about her - "she was always such a lovely soul as she walked this earth", "she was always such a beautiful example of loving kindness" and "Gloria was a rose whose flower kept my spirit alive".