Mary Turley

Mary Jo Turley of West Lafayette, Indiana passed away at IU Arnett Hospital shortly before midnight on 14 November, 2016 following a car accident. Her husband Jim Turley and sons Patrick and Jonathan were at her side. Mary Jo was born on 25 October, 1941, the daughter of Cecil and Rose Meyer. She grew up with five brothers and one sister in the Back of the Yards neighborhood in Chicago Illinois, and graduated from Saint Augustine Parish High School in 1959. She then earned a BA in English (magna cum laude) at Marymount College in Salina, Kansas. After college, Mary Jo met and married Scottsburg, Indiana native 1st Lieutenant Jim Turley who she met in Ellsworth Kansas. Thus began nearly 23 years of a whirlwind army life, starting at Fort Riley Kansas where their first two children were born. The young family then moved to Fort Eustis Virginia, Middletown New Jersey, and Hawaii where their third child was born. Next were Hampton, Virginia, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Fort Sam Houston Texas, and Frankfurt Germany. In 1981, Mary Jo and family moved to West Lafayette where her husband was assigned as Adjunct Professor of Military Science for three years. The family decided to make West Lafayette their permanent home after Jim’s retirement from the Army in 1984. Mary Jo was a homemaker for many years but volunteered extensively at every post. She served as Director of Religious education for Drake Edwards Kaserne in Germany, then joined the workforce full time when the family moved to West Lafayette Her first role at Purdue was as secretary and then administrative assistant to the Director and Dean of International Programs in Agriculture. After many years in that position, she moved to a new job as editor and administrative assistant in the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL). After retirement she became heavily involved with volunteer activities, including St. Thomas Aquinas Parish and Family Promise. She loved meeting people and making new friends and enjoyed volunteering at the Purdue Union information desk. She belonged to the Purdue Women’s Club, several bridge groups and three local Toastmasters clubs, including one she helped to start at Purdue. She had a special place in her heart for international students, developing long-term friendships with many. She loved to travel, especially to our state and national parks, and recently became involved with the Purdue Retirees Explore Indiana group. She was also a long-time member and officer of the Lafayette chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), for which she taught classes and mentored younger members. In addition, she lent her support to many other organizations, including the Muscular Dystrophy telethon, Food Finders Food Bank, the Wabash Area Lifetime Leaning Association and the Home Hospital Fair Board. Mary Jo was a humanitarian and care giver, nursing her husband Jim through a near fatal renal failure event in May-June 2013. She visited friends in nursing homes and provided a listening ear for many through difficult times. She was cheerful and happy and always singing; all were drawn to her warmth. Her extended family includes not only those she met through her own activities, but all of her husband's friends: the Scottsburg Indiana Class of 1957, Purdue class of 1961, especially Jim’s Delta Chapter Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity brothers, and many others encountered on life’s journey. Surviving are her husband Jim Turley, son Patrick and his wife Stacy, daughter Meghan and her husband Vito Iacoviello and son Jonathan and his former wife Deborah. In addition, she is survived by six grandchildren: Mitchell and Madison Turley, Ann-Marie, Gina and Marissa Iacoviello, and Aaron Turley. Her six siblings (Jack, Barbara, Bill, Bob, Jim and Tom), their spouses, and many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews also survive her. On Monday, November 21st there will be a visitation at 1 p.m. and Mass at 2 p.m. at Saint Thomas Aquinas at Purdue University. There will be a reception afterward in the parish hall. Family and friends from southern Indiana may wish to attend a second memorial service and the burial, which will take place on Saturday November 26, 1:00 PM at the Liberty Church and Cemetery located north east of Orleans, Indiana. The family requests memorials to either: St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 535 W. State St, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906 or Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia Kansas, PO Box 279 Concordia KS 66901 Hahn-Groeber Funeral Home, Lafayette, is caring for the family. Memories and condolences may be left at www.hahngroeberfuneralhome.com