Marie King Allison
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Marie's obituary
Marie King Allison, 95, passed peacefully on Palm Sunday, April 13, 2025—leaving behind a multigenerational legacy stitched with stories, recipes, laughter, and unapologetic lipstick.
Born on October 25, 1929 in La Jara, Colorado, to Hazel “Buba” Morgan and Charles Wendall “CW” King, Marie embodied the vibrant, complex tapestry of the American West: resilient, romantic, and rarely quiet.
She was a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother—titles she wore like pearls: cherished and chosen daily. She was also a businesswoman, painter, poet, politician, beauty queen, phone operator, and dinner party icon. She raised six children—Amy Lynne Holtsclaw, Lynn James Allison Jr., Jan Marie Allison, Tracey Dawn Reichardt, Melissa Anne Allison, and Rebecca Lynne Oliver—through eras of upheaval and triumph, reminding each of them (and countless others) that:
“Being sensitive is a strength, not a weakness.”
“You’re like the cream in milk—you’ll always rise to the top.”
“Write thank-you notes—it’s a dying art form.”
“Always look like you know where you’re going.”
Marie believed in doing nothing half-arsed, standing up to bullies, and that diced green chilis belonged in almost everything. Her hands could sew magic into fabric, knead compassion into bread, and flip a child’s tears into giggles with a gypsy reading or a whispered secret— along with acts of kindness, like slipping a stranger her last $20 with no expectation of return. She was the Tatonie Queen at 8, the homecoming heartbreaker in Albuquerque, and an eternal lover of horses, sharp wit, and John Wayne.
To be loved by Marie was to be remembered in every detail. To be guided by her was to be held to a higher standard—but always with warmth. She had an uncanny way of seeing what others could not. As her son-in-law once recalled:
“She pointed to the sky and said, ‘Can I tell you what I see? I see several spirits waiting to come down into your family.’”
That same vision and wonder now accompany her beyond the veil—surely joining the love of her life, Lynn James Allison, and their children Amy and Lynn Jr., with a twinkle in her eye and a dramatic retelling of how she got there.
She is survived by her daughters Jan Marie Allison, Tracey Dawn Reichardt, Melissa Anne Allison, and Rebecca Lynne Oliver; 25 grandchildren; 57 great-grandchildren; 4 great-great-grandchildren—and an entire extended family of chosen kin, neighbors, and admirers.
A celebration of Marie’s life will be held Friday, May 2, 2025 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 505 Deseret Drive, Friendswood, TX.
10:00 AM – Private Family Viewing
11:00 AM – Funeral Program (All Welcome)
In honor of Marie, the family invites all who attend to wear colorful clothing—a tribute to her lifelong belief that color could heal, reveal, and connect.
“She lived in every color and taught us to do the same.”
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