Obituary for Judith Ann Turney (Snell)
Judith Ann Snell Turney
Feb 24, 1935 - April 11, 2023
Much loved wife of the late David William Turney and loving mother of Peter, Ann, Margaret, Michael and Jennifer, grandmother of Shaun, Craig, Amanda, Jessica, Justin, Owen, Angus, Bradley, and Emily, dear sister of John and Peter, and sister-in-law of Jennifer, Gail, and Joan.
In her eighty eight years you may have known her as a friend, your sister, an aunt, grandma Judy, great grandma Judy, mum, or maybe just Judy.
Judy was born in Toronto to Fellman Van Vliet Snell, M.D. and Margaret Emily “Peggy” Young Snell. Her younger brothers agree she was a free-spirited youth who sported white buck shoes as much to lead the trend as to annoy her father. Judy began her studies at Jarvis Collegiate and upon graduation pursued her interests as an artist at Ontario Art College, known today as Ontario College for Art & Design University.
After graduating from OCAD U, Judy embraced the world of performing arts and spent her early years in costume design at the Stratford Festival, working along-side ‘Bill’ Shatner and ‘Chris’ Plumber. Soon enough she met her mate for life and on October 3rd, 1958 Judy married David Turney, Civil Engineer, University of Toronto graduate from Oshawa.
The newlyweds moved into their home in King City and didn’t wait long to start their family — ultimately having five children together between April 1960 and September 1966. Judy dedicated the next 25 (plus) years of her life to her husband and her family, raising her children and taking care of the home. Moving from King City to Bradford “the country”, then Mississauga, and then Beaconsfield, Quebec in 1976 and back to her hometown of Toronto in 1985 — supporting David, and his entrepreneurial adventures, along the way.
Judy’s house was always a house of order (a place for everything and everything in its place) and it was a house of love too. That’s not to say there weren’t challenging times in the Turney house. Perhaps her real strength was keeping it all together.
You should also know that Judy was a lover of animals. Dogs were a particular favourite and there were only a handful of years in her life when she didn’t have a dog in her home. R.I.P. Boots, Cleo, Prince and long live Cindy!
After the kids had all moved out and on with their lives, in 1991 Judy and David headed to Vernon, British Columbia where she ran a successful Bed & Breakfast. When grandkids started being born, they moved back to Toronto to be closer to family again, finally settling in Haliburton for their retirement years.
As usual, Judy quickly made friends with many of the locals as well as the Sir Sam’s ski hill owners and crew as David and her played an active role in moving the CADS (Canadian Adaptive Snowsports) ski program forward — helping to give people living with disabilities the opportunity to eliminate barriers that have prevented them in experiencing the joy and freedom of skiing.
More recently Judy had been living at a long-term care facility in Pembroke, on the Ottawa River. Quick with a big smile, right up until the end. She was thrilled to have some wonderful visits from her siblings, her children, grandchildren and even a few great grandchildren.
She passed away peacefully one afternoon, shortly after the musical entertainment wrapped-up. She'd been tapping her toe right up until the end.
Judy would have wanted this all written in lovely cursive. Sorry, we’ll just have to finish with some serious underscoring and exclamation marks!!!
There will be a small family gathering to honour Judy’s last wishes — to have her ashes “sprinkled” with David’s atop Sir Sam’s ski hill, overlooking Eagle Lake.
If you’d like to make a donation in Judy’s name, she would be honoured.
OCAD University
CADS
CAMH
Arrangements Entrusted to the Murphy Funeral Home, Pembroke
Feb 24, 1935 - April 11, 2023
Much loved wife of the late David William Turney and loving mother of Peter, Ann, Margaret, Michael and Jennifer, grandmother of Shaun, Craig, Amanda, Jessica, Justin, Owen, Angus, Bradley, and Emily, dear sister of John and Peter, and sister-in-law of Jennifer, Gail, and Joan.
In her eighty eight years you may have known her as a friend, your sister, an aunt, grandma Judy, great grandma Judy, mum, or maybe just Judy.
Judy was born in Toronto to Fellman Van Vliet Snell, M.D. and Margaret Emily “Peggy” Young Snell. Her younger brothers agree she was a free-spirited youth who sported white buck shoes as much to lead the trend as to annoy her father. Judy began her studies at Jarvis Collegiate and upon graduation pursued her interests as an artist at Ontario Art College, known today as Ontario College for Art & Design University.
After graduating from OCAD U, Judy embraced the world of performing arts and spent her early years in costume design at the Stratford Festival, working along-side ‘Bill’ Shatner and ‘Chris’ Plumber. Soon enough she met her mate for life and on October 3rd, 1958 Judy married David Turney, Civil Engineer, University of Toronto graduate from Oshawa.
The newlyweds moved into their home in King City and didn’t wait long to start their family — ultimately having five children together between April 1960 and September 1966. Judy dedicated the next 25 (plus) years of her life to her husband and her family, raising her children and taking care of the home. Moving from King City to Bradford “the country”, then Mississauga, and then Beaconsfield, Quebec in 1976 and back to her hometown of Toronto in 1985 — supporting David, and his entrepreneurial adventures, along the way.
Judy’s house was always a house of order (a place for everything and everything in its place) and it was a house of love too. That’s not to say there weren’t challenging times in the Turney house. Perhaps her real strength was keeping it all together.
You should also know that Judy was a lover of animals. Dogs were a particular favourite and there were only a handful of years in her life when she didn’t have a dog in her home. R.I.P. Boots, Cleo, Prince and long live Cindy!
After the kids had all moved out and on with their lives, in 1991 Judy and David headed to Vernon, British Columbia where she ran a successful Bed & Breakfast. When grandkids started being born, they moved back to Toronto to be closer to family again, finally settling in Haliburton for their retirement years.
As usual, Judy quickly made friends with many of the locals as well as the Sir Sam’s ski hill owners and crew as David and her played an active role in moving the CADS (Canadian Adaptive Snowsports) ski program forward — helping to give people living with disabilities the opportunity to eliminate barriers that have prevented them in experiencing the joy and freedom of skiing.
More recently Judy had been living at a long-term care facility in Pembroke, on the Ottawa River. Quick with a big smile, right up until the end. She was thrilled to have some wonderful visits from her siblings, her children, grandchildren and even a few great grandchildren.
She passed away peacefully one afternoon, shortly after the musical entertainment wrapped-up. She'd been tapping her toe right up until the end.
Judy would have wanted this all written in lovely cursive. Sorry, we’ll just have to finish with some serious underscoring and exclamation marks!!!
There will be a small family gathering to honour Judy’s last wishes — to have her ashes “sprinkled” with David’s atop Sir Sam’s ski hill, overlooking Eagle Lake.
If you’d like to make a donation in Judy’s name, she would be honoured.
OCAD University
CADS
CAMH
Arrangements Entrusted to the Murphy Funeral Home, Pembroke