Sister Christine was born in Somerville as Isabelle Rose Allen, daughter of Charles and Bella (Doherty) Allen. She graduated from St. Joseph's High School in Somerville. She graduated from Emmanuel College in Boston with a concentration in Mathematics. She later earned a master's degree in Mathematics from Fairfield University in Connecticut.
Sister Christine entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1946.
Sister was a teacher in Sisters of Notre Dame affiliated schools in Waltham, Chicopee, Providence and Boston, before moving to Connecticut to teach Mathematics at Notre Dame schools in Bridgeport, Norwich, New Britain, and Hartford.
Sister Christine is survived by two sisters, Margaret Glavin of Saugus, and Mary Allen Clayton of Laurens, S.C., several nieces and nephews, and her religious family, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. She was predeceased by her sister Sister Kathleen Allen SNDdeN and her brothers, John J. and Charles J. Allen.
She is buried in Notre Dame du Lac Cemetery in Worcester.
Sr. Maureen O'Brien, SNDdeN, reflected on Sr. Christine's life: "We remember our sister Sister Christine Elizabeth (formerly of the Connecticut Province) who died on April 25, 2020. Christine came into this life on July 12, St. Julie Billiart's birthday. She journeyed into new life on Saturday, April 25, Mary's day.
"Her life was the tale of two families – the Allen clan and Notre Dame. And she loved them both with her big and wonderful heart. Her life was a series of journeys from the Allen home in Somerville, MA to the Novitiate in Waltham where she followed her sister, Kathleen, and on to the new Connecticut Province. She was a gifted Math teacher at several high schools in Connecticut who spent many summers on National Science Foundation grants. Borderline students were her specialty.
"A creative problem solver, she once drove a rental car back to California so that she could see Notre Dame friends and volunteered for respite care in South Africa before going to Australia where some of the Allen clan had immigrated from Scotland. Christine loved her family, band, students, Sisters, the community coordinators at Notre Dame du Lac, her roommate, Sr. Pat Gallahue, the sister advocates, and medical staff at Notre Dame Long Term Care Center with a passion and she was loved deeply in return. Two days before she died, we had our last brief conversation. I told Christine that I loved her. Over many years, we have spoken about aging, loss and death. We prayed together and blessed one another. Christine was ready for her final journey 'home.'"