Mary E. Turley

"Mary (Odneal) Turley of Jamestown, RI passed away peacefully surrounded by family, from complications of existing conditions, on Friday, October 21, 2016. She was 79 years old. Mary was born on July 9, 1937, in St. Louis, MO and grew up in Palmer, MA. She was the daughter of the late Grace B. and Ralph E. Odneal. She was a graduate of Palmer High School, where, as a freshman, she met Tom Turley, whom she would marry on June 25, 1960. Mary graduated from Tufts University with a B.A. in 1959, and went on to become a beloved elementary school teacher in Concord, Palmer, and Wilbraham, MA. Following her time as a teacher, Mary spent 14 years as a local TV personality on Channel 40, the ABC affiliate in Springfield, MA, where she hosted the children's shows "Strummin' Drummers" and "Morning Town", as well as the station's annual participation in the Jerry Lewis Telethon for Muscular Dystrophy. Mary was deeply involved with her children's and grandchildren's schools, activities, and lives - first in Wilbraham and later in Rhode Island, where she and Tom moved in 1997. Their homes were favorite meeting points for "the kids" and their friends. Mary had a great appreciation for classical music, "the wilder the better", and was herself an accomplished pianist and flautist. She passed along her love of music to her entire family. Mary will be deeply missed by her husband of 56 years, Tom; her son Mark Turley and his wife Christine Eckert Turley, her daughter Karen Carney and her husband John; and her four precious grandchildren, Alex and Becca Carney and Nick and Ben Turley. The family would like to invite everyone to attend a service celebrating Mary's life on Saturday, October 29th beginning at 3 pm at The Gordon School, 45 Maxfield Ave., East Providence, RI. The family will greet friends before the service, from 1-3 pm. Light refreshments will be served immediately following the service. The family would like to thank the doctors and staff at Rhode Island Hospital and Hope Hospice in Providence for their care and compassion. To honor her memory, donations may be made in lieu of flowers to organizations dear to Mary's heart: The Gordon School, 45 Maxfield Ave, East Providence, RI 02914, and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, P.O. Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38148. "