Evelyn Stearns Turner, 101, of Deltaville, passed away peacefully on Thursday, June 20, 2024.
Born on July 14, 1922 in Richmond, she was the daughter of the late William Edward Stearns and Sarah Stearns Waugh. She was married to Andrew Lucius Turner Jr. for 66 years before his passing in 2009.
Evelyn graduated from Chandler High School in Richmond and later worked at First and Merchants National Bank in Richmond.
She met the love of her life Andy Turner in 1942 when an Army buddy suggested Evelyn could get him a date, and they could all go to a movie together. When they arrived to pick her up, two things were obvious to Andy — she was beautiful and she wasn’t interested in any movie. They went to meet mutual friends at a local pub. At one point, Andy leaned over her date and asked Evelyn to marry him. In the lighthearted mood of the evening, she accepted. Her date was not amused. On April 10, 1943, Andy and Evelyn were married in a military wedding, complete with saber arch, at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Richmond.
Evelyn and Andy had six children, Sydney Marshall Turner (d. 2023), Drew (Laurie) Turner, Leslie (David d. 1997) Babcock, Courtney Turner, Bob Morrissett, and Mike (Clay) Morrissett. They had 10 grandchildren, Melissa (Mark) Bland, Jeff Morrissett, Logan (Rip) Rice, Will (Melanie) Morrissett, Ben Babcock, Andrew (Arin) Morrissett, Hannah Babcock, Chloe Elsass, Andrew (Morgan) Turner and Jackson Turner. She had six great-grandchildren, Ethan Hill, Anna Babcock, Madee Babcock, Tilly Rice, Finn Rice and Andy Turner V.
In addition to caring for her family, Evelyn was deeply involved in community activities. She was a member of the Jefferson High School Foundation, on the Board of the Miss Virginia Pageant, and was a member of the Board of the Roanoke Valley Civic Center Advisory Commission. She was president of the Women’s Auxiliary of the Roanoke Symphony Society and a member of the Roanoke Symphony Association. She was long active in the Junior League of Roanoke and chaired the Jubilee Belles during Roanoke’s 75th anniversary celebration. She was a member of the Junior Achievement Board, and was named Mother of the Year for Community Affairs in Roanoke in 1969. She was also a member of the Ferrum College Board of Trustees.
After moving to Deltaville, Evelyn continued her community efforts. She was on the Board of the Deltaville Community Association and spearheaded production of a book about the community and led a successful fundraising effort. She was grand marshal of the annual Heritage Day Parade. She was a member of the Rivers Club, Fishing Bay Yacht Club, and the Power Squadron. She was a founding board member of the Deltaville Maritime Museum and Holly Point Nature Park. She established the Turner Educational Lecture Series at the museum to bring in leading authorities on matters of importance to the region and the Chesapeake Bay.
While Evelyn was clearly involved in the community, her real claim to fame was the love of her family and the friendships she developed over the years. Holidays around the dining room table were filled with laughter, stories, and her good cooking. She would fire up the cast iron skillet to cook a single soft-shell crab the kids caught on a piling in Fishing Bay. She and Andy were known for the hundreds of “pomes” they penned over the years — often while riding in the car on the way to a special occasion.
As she aged, building friendships never slowed — new friendships came from children and grandchildren — they came from friends of friends and they continued coming up until the time of her passing. Every visit with Evelyn would leave you feeling better. She never complained and always wanted to know about you. She wanted to hear about your kids and your grandkids. She remembered their names. She remembered their ages. The tiniest details were important to her. She treated everyone with respect. Her passing will leave a huge void, and yet it will be filled with the love she shared throughout her life.
A celebration of Evelyn’s life is planned for 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 25 at the Deltaville Maritime Museum. A graveside service will be conducted at a later date at Evergreen Cemetery in Roanoke, where Evelyn will be laid to rest with Andy. The date of that service has not yet been set.
If you wish to send a remembrance, in lieu of flowers we ask you to consider a gift to the Deltaville Maritime Museum in her memory. The address is Deltaville Maritime Museum, P.O. Box 466, Deltaville, VA 23043. The museum was such an important part of her life.
Her family wishes to reach out and thank the many people and friends who have cared for Mom/Gran/Gram — especially the caring individuals at Heron Cove where she spent her last four years. They also want to thank the members of Lower United Methodist Church, Christ Church and Philippi Christian Church, who have cared for her as well.
