Gretchen Van Ausdal Allen

October 26, 1935 - July 19, 2025

Charlotte, North Carolina - Gretchen Van Ausdal Allen, 89, died peacefully at home, just as she wanted, after a perfect week at the beach with her family.

Gretchen is survived by her three children–Fred Huntley Allen III (Hunt/Emily), William Van Ausdal Allen (Will/Becky) and Margaret Lucille Allen Chapman (Lucy/Andrew); her grandchildren Cody Elizabeth Allen, Alexandra Grace Allen, Louis Huntley Allen, and Adele Grace Chapman; her beloved brother (in law) John Edward Fulker; and her wonderful nieces, nephews and grand-nieces and nephews. Gretchen was preceded in death by her sisters, Laura Ketcham and Nancy Jane Fulker, her very best friend.

Gretchen was born in Troy, Ohio, to William Norman Van Ausdal and Lucille Walker Van Ausdal. She graduated from Miami University (1957) and earned a masters in microbiology and bacteriology at UC Berkeley. While working in a research lab at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York City, she met Fred Huntley Allen, Jr. of Wadesboro, NC, who became her "luv." They built a cadre of friends, fell in love with the city and each other before marrying and moving to Charlotte in 1964 where Fred began practicing neurology. He served in the US Army (1968-70) finishing as Chief of Outpatient Neurology at Walter Reed Army Hospital. Upon returning home, he founded Carolina Neurological Clinic. Queens Road West was home for 50 years before they moved to Southminster in 2014.

Gretchen wove the fabric of Allen family life as a devoted and amazing mom to Hunt, Will and Lucy and was an active supporter of their activities and a warm and welcoming presence for their friends. They enjoyed lots of travel, near and far: camping and skiing in the NC mountains and Colorado, trips to the beach, exploring Paris and Europe. She and Fred enjoyed trips to several of Charlotte's Sister Cities, and her annual trips to Ohio to be with her sister Nancy's children and grandchildren were a highlight! She was known to pack her van full of antiques and drive out to Colorado. She meticulously planned a European adventure down to the minute, way before the internet.

An avid photographer, most people recall Gretchen with a camera around her neck on the sidelines of every football game, swim meet and wrestling or tennis match. She focused on the action, and not just her own kids. Over the years, she captured the three point shots, spikes, tackles, pins, wins and personal victories of hundreds of CCDS athletes and cheered for every single one of them. For hours at a time, she would escape to her darkroom to develop pictures to share.

Often described as a force of nature, Gretchen was a person of action, perseverance and boundless generosity. When she saw a need in the community, she set out to get that need met. Through her efforts as a "professional volunteer," she worked to build access to equitable healthcare and life giving services for people throughout Mecklenburg County through Healthy Charlotte Alliance (formerly MMAE). She worked passionately at the YWCA in numerous volunteer roles including Board President, deeply committed to its mission to "eliminate racism and empower women."

She was an active member and deacon at Myers Park Baptist since 1970 and Gretchen became a guiding source for MPBC Roundtable, an empowered philanthropic group of women. Here she forged many of the lasting friendships that saw her through this life and made it worthwhile.

When Gretchen Allen brought people together, she fed them well. Food was her love language and she was deliciously fluent. Her pulled pork was legend around town and on the internet, and she must have braised thousands of pounds over the years - for Panthers tailgates, as auction items, and dinner for her three rascals and Fred. She perfected carb-loading, hosting team spaghetti dinners after wrestling weigh-ins and on football game days.

Upon moving to Southminster, Gretchen became active on the Food and Healthcare Committees, and constantly fed the Life Enrichment staff with ideas for outings. She brought her love for summer's bounty to everyone at Southminster via her weekly peach and tomato stand (direct from "my man" at the farmer's market).

Summer was primetime for Gretchen and Fred, who passed in 2022. No doubt those two are up in heaven, assembling perfect tomato sandwiches (and likely still leaving the mayo on the counter) and devouring juicy peaches right over the sink.

The Allen family extends our deepest gratitude for the compassionate care of Dr. Gardiner Roddey and Dr. Andrew Delemos; the hospice care team of Via Health Partners; and the wonderful staff at Southminster.

A memorial service celebrating Gretchen's life will be held on Thursday, July 31, 2025, at 2:00 PM at Myers Park Baptist Church, 1900 Queens Road, Charlotte, NC 28207.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to Women in Transition at YWCA Central Carolinas, 3420 Park Rd, Charlotte, NC 28209 or to MPBC Roundtable, 1900 Queens Road, Charlotte, NC 28207.

Arrangements are in the care of Kenneth W. Poe Funeral & Cremation Service, 1321 Berkeley Ave., Charlotte, NC 28204; (704) 641-7606. Online condolences may be shared at www.kennethpoeservices.com.