Mrs. Marie B. Allen of Oak Bluffs died on Feb. 4. She was 92.

She was born on May 25, 1930 to the late Edward James Bowling and Mary Frances Redmond Bowling. After graduating from Roxbury Memorial High School for Girls in 1947, she went on to study at Northwestern University at night and worked a government job during the day in Chicago.

In 1946, she met Milton George Allen and they wed in 1951. They had two children, David Milton Allen and Stacey Allen Johnson.

She owned and operated a secretarial service for 25 years, served as a justice of the peace and notary public, and operated the Montessori Family Center, Inc. for two years.

She was hired at an entry-level position at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and rose to become a project coordinator. While working at the MBTA, she earned a master of education degree from Antioch University, majoring in administration and management in 1979. She served as the assistant secretary of personnel and affirmative action at the executive Office of Transportation under the William Weld administration. She also served as a board member of Unity Bank and Trust and on several municipal boards in Boston.

She retired from the MBTA in 1995 and moved permanently to Martha’s Vineyard, serving 20 years as a governor’s appointee to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission; 24 years on the Oak Bluffs board of assessors; 12 years as a board member and clerk for Island Elderly Housing, and 12 years as a conservator for Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank.

Marie was passionate about civil rights from an early age. She was an NAACP member and served in various positions at its Boston branch, including executive secretary. In 1984 she joined the Martha’s Vineyard branch of the NAACP and served as secretary to the executive committee and as first vice president. She was elected president of the Vineyard branch in 2004 and served with exemplary accomplishments, including doubling membership and instituting its first website and email program.

She received recognition from the NAACP New England Area Conference (NEAC) for outstanding efforts to assist and support Hurricane Katrina survivors. She was also the recipient of the John A. Morsell Award, for outstanding programmatic achievements in furthering the aims and objectives of the NAACP; the Soaring High president’s award for exceptional service as president of the Martha’s Vineyard branch of the NAACP; and the NAACP Northeast Region Living Legend Award, for consistent and unselfish commitment to human and civil rights by serving as a dedicated NAACP volunteer.

She continued to serve on the executive committee of the Martha’s Vineyard branch of the NAACP. In September 2017 she was presented with the Living Legend Award at the 79th annual meeting of the NAACP New England Area Conference.

Marie also enjoyed extensive travels, knitting and making contemporary and ethnic jewelry.

She will be greatly missed.

Marie is survived by her children David M. Allen and Stacey A. Johnson, and grandchildren Kendall Johnson, Nolan Johnson, Garrett Allen and Sesana Allen.

Memorial contributions can be made to NAACP of Martha’s Vineyard, in memory of Marie Allen or Marie Allen Fund on the memo line, at P.O. Box 1513, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557. Please contact Alex Palmer with any questions: naacpmvsecretary@gmail.com.

Her family has created a site — everloved.com/life-of/marie-allen/ — where friends and acquaintances can post memories, stories and condolences.

There will be a celebration of her life in early summer, with the date and location to be announced at a later time.