Obituary
Mrs. Joyce Morong Turner
Born: February 10, 1930
Died: August 10, 2002
Memorialized by: Greenwood Mortuary
Joyce Morong Turner (also known as Mrs. T) died peacefully on August 10, 2002 in her home in San Diego, California following a brief but intense battle with lung cancer. She was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts to Dr. Carrol Oscar (an American Baptist minister) and Marion Gracia Mattinson Morong. Joyce was the eldest of three children. She and her sister Barbara would dress up their younger brother, Oscar, and send him to the door in pigtails and frilly dresses. He didn't seem to mind much at the time, but later was embarassed when his sisters teased him about it. Judy, the youngest sibling, was born several years later.
Joyce received her BA degree from Denison University in 1951 and her MA degree from Andover Newton in 1953. Following in her parents' footsteps, she went into Christian ministry. She was Director of Christian Education at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Ridgewood, New Jersey from 1953-54. She did postgraduate work at Columbia University Teachers College in 1954. On November 27 of that same year, she married Jet Elton Turner in Hightstown, New Jersey and put aside her own educational pursuits to support those of her husband.
From 1954-56 Joyce Turner taught Reading Comprehension at Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration. Her love of children and her passion for Christian education led her to accept the position of Director of Children's Work at First Baptist Church Westfield New Jersey from 1954-56. From 1957-62 she was Preschool Director of Swanzey Public Schools in Swanzey, New Hampshire. In 1958 her first daughter, Carol Beth was born. Joyce and Jet joked that at the time, Joyce was the only pregnant tenor in the church choir that Jet conducted. Rebecca Lynn was born in 1960. That same year Joyce developed the script and taught Lab sessions for a 13-week PBS television series under the auspices of the New Jersey Council of Churches.
In 1962 the family moved to Peoria, Illinois, and Joyce taught kindergarten in the Peoria public schools. She also served on the YMCA Board of Directors from 1962-1964 in Peoria. Tim Mark was born in 1966 on the same day as Jet's birthay, and Stephen Elton was born in 1967. Joyce always treasured the fact that her sons were adopted, explaining that she got to choose each of them personally.
The family moved to Madison, Wisconsin in 1969, and Jet began his doctorate in organ at the University of Wisconsin. While there, Joyce took continuing education courses at the University of Wisconsin. Two years later Jet accepted the position of Chairman of the Music Department at Louisiana College in Pineville, and the family moved once more.
While in Louisiana, Joyce worked to receive her administrator's license for long-term care facilities. She held the position of Director of Training at Pecan Grove Training Center in Alexandria from 1972-80. She served on the Mental Health Association Board of Directors from 1976-78. Being a lover of seafood, she enjoyed cooking seafood gumbo, crawfish, jambalaya and other Louisiana specialties. She never forgot her first experience cooking crawfish. Her neighbor had explained that they had to soak in salt water overnight, so Joyce set large tubs of crawfish around the backyard. To her surprise, when she checked on them a few hours later, they had crawled all around the yard, were swimming in the pool, and had climbed up trees and into bushes. She hadn't thought to put lids on the tubs, and she and her sons spent several hours rounding up all the crawfish that had escaped.
The family moved once more in 1980 when Jet took the position of Organist at First Presbyterian Church San Diego. Joyce became Administrator of Children's Convalescent Hospital (long-term care for developmentally disabled children) in 1980. She became the Preceptor of the Board of Examiners for Nursing Home Administrators in Sacramento that same year. She was also a member of the American Association on Mental Deficiency, the American College of Nursing Home Administrators, and the California Association of Health Facilities.
Several years after her father died (1975), Joyce encouraged her Aunt Lucinda to move from Western Springs, Illinois to Alhambra, California to live with Marion. After Joyce and her family moved to San Diego, she arranged limo rides (complete with cookies and lemonade) for Lu and Marion to travel down to San Diego for regular visits.
In 1983 Joyce was honored with a listing in Who's Who in California. Several years later she receive the TWIN Award from the YWCA, which recognized outstanding women in industry in San Diego county.
When her husband, Jet, died in 1984, Joyce helped each of her children through the grieving process, stepping in to be confidante, mentor, counselor, Christ-like example and friend to each of them. Although she went through financial as well as emotional hardships during this time, she put her emphasis on supporting others. Her faith, as strong as ever, led her to ask God to guide her through these difficulties, confessing that she couldn't handle them on her own. Eighteen years later, in the midst of her struggle with cancer, she was thanking God for the countless blessings he had granted her, pulling her up out of a time of despair and into a time of prosperity, blessing her with a loving family and good friends.
When Joyce's mother, Marion, needed more intensive care due to Alzheimer's, Joyce helped Lu move down to San Diego to be closer to her family. Joyce became Lu's caregiver, advocate, and special friend throughout Lu's final years in a convalescent home. Joyce visited daily, making sure Lu had her favorite clothes, food and hairstyles. When Lu died in 1992, Joyce was at her side, singing hymns and sharing Scripture with her. Joyce and her siblings arranged for a family reunion and memorial service for Lu that spring in Chicago.
Joyce served on the board of the CAHHS Center for Long-term Care from 1989-1995 and in 1995 was honored "in recognition of outstanding service, dedication and leadership in times of transition to the CAHHS Center for Long-term Care."
Known by her employees and coworkers as Mrs. T, she was an encourager, supporter, and mentor of others. Joyce was continually urging on her children and her employees to finish their education, push themselves to their full potential, and move ahead in their careers.
She was also an encourager of the children at Children's Convalescent Hospital, making sure those who were able attended school, went to camp, participated as much as possible in childhood activities, and took part in other events outside the hospital setting. She and her staff arranged camping trips (with all of the kids' special equipment in tow), picnics, and other outings to make sure that these children (many with extraordinarily special needs and life-threatening illnesses), had as many opportunities as possible to experience the joys and pleasures of childhood.
Mrs. T officially retired in 1997, but she continued to fly to Sacramento to lobby for healthcare (especially children's healthcare) issues. She was a Task Force member of the State of California Department of Health Services, and helped write regulations for a pediatric sub-acute level of care -- a first for California. These regulations are still in effect to provide care to technology-dependent children throughout the state of California.
Throughout her life, Mrs. T put her faith and trust in Jesus Christ. During difficult times she turned to God and encouraged her children to do the same. Since her diagnosis of lung cancer on June 24, she had experienced only occasional pain, and her lungs stayed clear until just a few days before her death. Even after her diagnosis, she was continually praising God for His blessings in her life, including her four children and her three grandchildren. And she was very appreciative of the people who helped make her final days comfortable. Those who spent any amount of time with her were sure to be touched by her Christian witness and her loving example.
Survivors include her brother, C. Oscar Morong, of Mountainside, New Jersey and her sister, Judith A. Drayer, of Charlottesville, Virginia; her daughters Carol Turner Rogers (married to Kirk J. Rogers) of San Diego, California and Rebecca Turner Kunz (married to Christian Kunz) of Vienna, Austria; her sons Tim Mark Turner of San Diego and Stephen Elton Turner (married to Michelle Womble) of San Diego; and her grandchildren Abby Rogers and Victoria and Alexander Kunz.
A service to celebrate Joyce Turner's faith in Christ will be held at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, September 21, 2002 at Greenwood Memorial Park, in the Garden Chapel, located at Interstate 805 and Imperial Avenue in San Diego, California, (619)264-3131 with the Rev. Burton S. Smith officiating.
Donations in the memory of Joyce M. Turner may be sent to San Diego Hospice, 4311 Third Avenue, San Diego, CA 92103 or to the Joyce Turner Memorial Scholarship Fund, Children's Hospital, Attn: Pamela Dixon, 3020 Children's Way, MC #5019, San Diego, CA 92123.
"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
'Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.' Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate." -- Proverbs 31:10-12, 20, 25-31
[posted to Ancestry.com's Turner message board 5 Jul 2004]
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1930 - 2002 (72 years)
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