“All I could see from where I stood, was three long mountains and a wood; I turned and looked another way, and saw three islands in a bay.” — Edna St.Vincent Millay

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — Dr. Gretchen Holt Allen, of West Hartford, Conn., is now in a better place after a heroic battle with cancer. She was a dedicated physician and loving mother who celebrated her 50th birthday in October of this year with friends and family.

Gretchen was born in Rockland. She is the daughter of Ross S. Holt Jr., of Camden and Carolyn "Kali" Perkins of Rockland. Gretchen grew up in Camden and attended area schools and graduated from Camden-Rockport High School, where her father was principal. Gretchen was artistic, athletic, adventurous and kind. She was a member of the National Honor Society, the Thespian Society, and wrote and created artwork for the schools' Windsong magazine. She played clarinet and bassoon, and was a stand-out athlete on both the varsity field hockey and cross-country ski teams.

Gretchen spent her summers at her family camp, Holt Haven, on Washington Pond. She was an avid swimmer, boater and cribbage player. She spent her days jumping off the dock, swimming across the lake and back, and playing the old Victrola. Years later when asked by a friend if she could go anywhere in the world, where she would want to go? She said to her family camp on Washington Pond.

After graduating from high school she received a degree in biology from the University of Southern Maine. During this time she continued to foster her sense of adventure by attending Outward Bound and backpacking through Europe. Later, Gretchen studied medicine at the University of Vermont and completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.

She then settled in West Hartford to practice medicine and raise her family. Gretchen held a variety of positions at Hartford Hospital and Community Health Services. She dedicated her life to those less fortunate and had many offers to join private practices, but chose to serve those who needed it most in women's clinics.

Gretchen leaves behind her daughter, Rebecca, who is as beautiful, kind and artistic as her mother; her husband, Steven Allen of West Hartford, Conn.; her mother, Kali Perkins of Rockland; her father, Ross S. Holt Jr. of Camden; her father-in-law, Matthew Allen of Ellington; her brother, Ross S. Holt III and his wife, Kathleen, of West Hempstead, N.Y.; her brother, Gregory Holt and his wife, Linda, of Camden; her niece and nephews, John Ross Holt, Calvin Holt and his wife, Emily, Drew Holt and Julia Holt.

In addition to her family, Gretchen leaves behind a legacy of caring through her wonderful friends and colleagues, the dedicated health care professionals that studied under her and each beautiful baby that she helped deliver into this world.

A service will be held Sunday, Nov. 17, at 2 p.m. at The Universalist Church, located at 433 Fern St. in West Hartford, Conn. Immediately following there will be a gathering at 5 Harvest Lane, also in West Hartford.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to the Hartford Hospital Women's Health Program, Attn: Fund Development, 80 Seymour St., P.O. Box 5037, Hartford, CT 06102-5037

Condolences may be emailed to: GretchenHolt82@gmail.com.