On April 17, 2023, with fair winds and a following sea, family and friends bid Judy Turner bon voyage and safe passage as she set out for her final journey. Parting images of her smile, laughter, and good cheer will remain forever etched in the hearts of all who loved her. She was 81.
Judy was born in the presence of her beloved Westport River to Raymond W. and Irene A. S. Hadfield and spent her early years in South Westport, MA. Her family later moved to Swansea, MA where Judy graduated from Joseph Case High School. In the single semester she attended Becker Junior College, a testament to how tightly people gravitated toward Judy, she met lifelong friend and fellow traveler “Joan from Maine.” Judy was blessed with legions of friends, many spanning decades. She continued collecting friends to the day of her passing.
Hard work, loyalty, and dedication were just a few of Judy’s hallmarks. She served as secretary for Guimond Farms Dairy in Fall River, MA; Westinghouse Electric in East Providence, RI and Framingham, MA; and correspondence secretary to Amb. William Porter (retired). Her efficiency and attention to detail combined with her sense of humor found purpose and praise in everything she did and especially when she worked as a waitress at Ellie’s Place and Moby Dick Sandwich Shop in Westport and P.J. Kelly’s in North Dartmouth, MA.
Always game for adventure, Judy married Kendal B. Turner in 1968. In their early years together they lived briefly in Connecticut and Upstate New York where Kendal B. worked for Raytheon Company. They returned to Westport where they raised their two children, Wayne and Rebecca.
Camping, traveling, singing as a family (Judy holding the harmony), hosting happy hours, and volunteering in the community filled Judy and Kendal B. with great happiness. These experiences led Judy to know everyone, leading everyone to love Judy. Dependable and dependably fun made her the go to person for any occasion be it a happy one or an emergency. When she would say, “You call, I’ll haul,” she meant it. Together, Judy and Kendal B. instilled these traits in their children and were proud to play pivotal parts in each of their lives.
Her children formed the center of her life. When they were young, she carefully organized her day to ensure she could wave goodbye from the window when her kids boarded the school bus and be home when they returned. She celebrated their every success and was on hand with a hug and a hankie to soothe their losses. She was most comfortable quietly supporting from behind the scenes any project or enterprise in which they were engaged. She cherished playing the role of cheerleader, chauffeur, and chef. Being deeply involved in their lives, their work, and their adventures brought great joy to Judy.
Community service and volunteerism came naturally to Judy. She loved helping others be it with the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Westport Harvest Festival, Westport Fair, the Bay Scallop Restoration Project, or the Westport Council On Aging. Frequently the first to arrive and the last to leave, Judy’s spirit of service set an example for all, leaving an enduring imprint on countless people, none more than on her kids.
Judy’s love for people was powerful. She treated family as friends and welcomed friends as family. She offered advice when asked; was slow to criticize; and eager to lend an ear or a hand. The common “mother in-law joke” never applied as revealed by the relationship she and her daughter in-law, Polly, nurtured and enjoyed.
Judy was unambiguous about how much she adored her two granddaughters, Phoebe and Wren. When they would visit her in Westport, Gagi, as they called her, would immediately set off around town to introduce them to her friends and colleagues, take them out for breakfast or ice cream, or pick out a treat from one of the many places in Westport where Judy was a “regular.” She could take them anywhere; she would end up taking them everywhere. It brought great joy to her when she would read original stories and essays from her beloved grandkids or learn about their daily lives growing up in Wyoming. Though the distance in miles was far, the bond between grandmother and granddaughter remained extraordinarily near. Gagi’s spirit carries onward within them.
She was predeceased by her husband, Kendal B. and her dog, Bridger, and leaves her daughter, Rebecca S. Turner of Westport, her son, Wayne H. Turner, his wife, Polly, and two granddaughters, Phoebe and Wren, of Kelly, Wyoming; her brother Don A. Hadfield and his wife, Karen of North Hampton, NH; her sister, Ethel Ann Kendrick and her husband, Doug, of Florida; many nieces, nephews, in-laws, and countless friends.
We are all better for having been in her presence. A celebration of Judy’s life will take place in the summer when family and friends will “hoist one” in her honor.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that gifts be made to support the Clinical Research and Education Fund (Brain Health Program) at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Checks can be made payable to Brigham and Women's Hospital with "in memory of Judith Turner" in the memo line and sent to: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Development Office, 116 Huntington Ave., 3rd floor, Boston, MA 02116 or visit giving.brighamandwomens.org to make your gift online.