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Cozumel Lost a Guardian Angel

The Cozumel Sun is sad to announce that a Cozumel guardian angel by the name Corinne Allen has left this world.  Corinne touched many lives  in Cozumel by giving her time to just about every Cozumel community project. Corinne (Corki) organized the volunteers for international sporting events, each year collected thousands of candy canes to hand out as Santa’s helper, worked with CAM school,  raised funds for a little girl that was almost killed by a hit and run driver, the list is endless.

Corki  kept giving of herself even as she fought the disease that ultimately took her life on July 27.  She was the epitome of everything a community volunteer should be and set the bar  high of how we all should give of ourselves to help others.  Our thoughts and prayers are with her family. May God bless them and keep them strong.  May Cozumel’s Angel rest in peace, she will be missed. The Eulogy written by her son, Mark Fowler says it all.

Corinne Allen

10/4/1942 – 7/27/2018

“My mother succumbed to her illness today after a seven-year fight with cancer. She fought admirably against a foe that was unrelenting. Never backing down she proceeded with numerous surgeries and chemo therapies to combat it. Ensuring that she exhausted every available option in her fight to vanquish it. It was a fight worthy of a warrior, and her determination to beat it reminds us that even cancer cannot impact an indomitable spirit.

I wanted to share something personal. The following words should not be construed as anything other than some of my own thoughts. Science has always intrigued me, and there is a particular law that crosses the boundaries of belief and science in a way that I take solace in. This would be “The Law of Conservation of Energy”. It states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed; rather it can only be transformed or transferred from one form to another. The energy that filled our Universe 13.7 billion years ago is finite, it has traveled unknown miles to get to a destination. I believe the energy that creates us comes from that very explosion. I believe that we are born of stars.

Many of you have commented on how a piece of her will always be with you, and while by no means a complete list there are certainly some things that come to mind.

When Candy Cane Sami rides with the “Bomberos” to distribute gifts to children that have nothing it will be that energy

When a turtle she helped save returns 50 years from now to lay a clutch of eggs it will be that energy

When a child is given a second chance through a CAM school because of her fundraising it will be that energy

When the last Ironman crosses the finish line safely it will be that energy

While it is easy to grieve for our loss, it also is easy to see the wonder in what one individual was able to do with their life. As we read, share, and discuss her adventures it doesn’t cease to amaze. She’s always had an infectious smile, and a gift of gab that allowed her to communicate with just about everyone. Bridging gaps to bring people together, to help people find solidarity in different ways of life.

What she did for Cozumel is astonishing. Never able to learn the native tongue she poured her heart and soul into her perfect paradise. Her first arrival to the Isla was in 1976, not much more than a fishing village at that time. As the years went by Cozumel grew up, and in her own way she helped shape a little part of it. Her charity was almost limitless, and the island as well as the world is better for knowing her gentle touch. Altruism has become less and less prevalent in our society, with my mother it was a way of life, and she ensured that all she met understood the sheer happiness in giving to others.

Many of us have filled passports with stamps traveling there to see and spend time with her and share in the beauty of her beloved island. Before every trip she was always filled with a certain giddiness, almost a longing for the feeling when that plane touched down. For the very moment when the cabin door was opened, and as you approached the stairs to the tarmac your body was greeted with the warm humid air of the Caribbean Sea. She always loved the warmth.

The last trip in May might just have been one of her favorites. A collection of family, friends, and food that warmed her heart. The smile on her face as our boat skimmed the turquoise waters, joining the woman’s breakfast she helped start, the simple joy of eating her apple crisp at Buccanos, the smiles of friends sharing pizza and stories, walking her to the sand out front of Las Brisas to stand in the shallow waters, picking her final resting place on the eastern shore.

I have thought quite a bit over the recent days about her care over the last seven years, and what it means to be an advocate for someone. I cannot stress enough what an honor and privilege it has been to keep her healthy and safe. It hasn’t been without its difficulties, but looking back there are no regrets, no changes, no questions. I offered everything I could to the woman that gave me life, to ensure that during every step of the journey her “rock” was there to comfort and offer a solution to whatever presented itself.

I do not feel defeated, simply reminded that the fight itself is sometimes more substantial than the cure. I have not shared this with very many people, but when she was hospitalized in 2011 there came a point when she gave up. She had no fight left, and with her body failing she told me she was ready to go. I simply reminded her of all the things she had yet to see, all the good work she still wanted to do, and that if she hung out a little bit longer things would get better. She smiled and said “ok, I will try”. Seven years have passed since that day; I’ve considered everyone a gift.

In lieu of flowers or donations I would request what I believe my mother would have wanted in such a situation. Find a charity that is important to you, and offer some of your time. She never had the means to financially donate, instead she offered something priceless – herself. Our family will be setting up the Corinne Allen Memorial Fund with the intention of continuing to donate time and funds to the charities that meant the most to her.

On behalf of my family I would like to thank all of you for being a part of her life, and sharing in this most difficult of journeys. It has been truly special to be able to publicly share her story with so many people. The responses you offered were a beacon of light during so many dark days.

It was her final wish to have her ashes spread on the East shore of Cozumel. While it may not happen immediately the family intends to return her there so she can be part of the warm sand that she so loved. I will make sure that prior to this visit we provide ample notification so that others may join in to say goodbye. A celebration of life in paradise, exactly what she would have wanted.”

Special thanks to Corrine’s family allowing us the privilege of sharing  the Eulogy with our readers.

Always in our hearts – living your example is our greatest tribute

-Kathy Watts