Alishia Mae Allen

Alishia Mae Allen passed away suddenly on November 7, 2018. Born March 4, 1976 to Sheila Ann Allen and Gary Lynn Allen (later divorced). Alishia was raised by mother and her step-father Scott, who provided her with steadfast and unconditional support. She attended Granger and Skyline high schools and graduated from Skyline in 1994. The greatest love of Alishia's life was her daughter, Makenna. Not only was Makenna her hope and her light, she was her best friend. The two of them had a special bond. They loved taking walks, collecting sea shells, learning about animals, going to the zoo and to Sea World, doing hair and nails, and reading together. Makenna was a great support to her mom, acting as her teacher in "school" and as the most enthusiastic celebrator of her achievements. Alishia's other great loves were her mother, her dogs - especially Kaya and Gracie, chocolate, and shoes (oh, how she loved shoes!). Alishia was a beautiful, free soul with a fabulous smile and an adventurous spirit. She enjoyed snowboarding, skydiving, salmon fishing, and scuba diving. She loved to travel and went diving in many exotic locations. Drawn to physical activity, Alishia loved running, boxing, and dancing, and was a member of the Excalibur drill team in high school. Alishia was blessed with the gift of creativity. She loved doing crafts, cooking, and building things - so much so that her Christmas wish list often included power tools. She loved to sew and frequently created her own patterns for clothes, recreating designer styles. She also applied her talents to making fun and unique Halloween costumes. Alishia was shot in the head during a domestic violence incident in September 2012, sustaining a traumatic and life-altering brain injury. She fought through extreme pain and worked with fierce determination through an extraordinarily difficult and relentless recovery process. Despite her exceptional challenges, Alishia pushed her limits. Her mantra as "I can, I can, and I will." Alishia's courage in the face of adversity was inspiring. She advocated for domestic violence victims and improvements in patient treatment by participating in a video produced for the University of Utah focusing on shortfalls in the legal and medical systems. Alishia was deeply loved and her sparkling eyes and contagious laugh will be missed by many, most especially by her daughter and her family. Survived by her daughter Makenna; parents Sheila Ann Allen Gledhill (Scott) and Gary Lynn Allen (Belinda); and sibling Jeremy Thomas Allen. Preceded in death by her grandparents Helen Hardman Allen and Bruce Wallace Allen; and her cousin William Jeffery Allen. Friends may call at a viewing from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, November 16, 2018 at McDougal Funeral Home located at 4330 South Redwood Road, Taylorsville, UT, or from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. on Saturday, November 17, 2018, prior to a celebration of Alishia's life which will take place at 11:00 a.m. Interment will be at the Redwood Memorial Estates located at 6500 South Redwood Road, Taylorsville, UT. Online condolences accepted at www.mcdougalfuneralhomes.com. Special thanks to Douglas Goldsmith, Jane Wesley Brooks, Fenn Cross, Sue Forbes, Nikki Jolley, and all of Alishia's therapists at the University of Utah Wellness Clinics. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made for Alishia's daughter Makenna via PayPal at bishopimages@comcast.net, or via Venmo at @Amanda-Bishop-13. Place of Birth:Salt Lake City, UtahPlace of Death:Salt Lake City, Utah