Mary E. Turkington

A memorial service for Mary E. Turkington, 93, will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, April 13, 2019 in the Klasse Chapel at First United Methodist Church in Topeka. A visitation will be held after the service at the church.

Mary died Thursday, April 4, 2019 at McCrite Plaza in Topeka.

Mary was born January 14, 1926 in Girard, Kansas, the daughter of Frank and Mary K. Turkington. The family moved to the farm near McCune, Kansas on Mary's second birthday.

Mary received her Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Kansas. She was in the first graduating class of the William Allen White School of Journalism in 1946.

Mary's professional life was involved with the highway transportation. She was a member of the staff of the Kansas Motor Carrier's Association from August 1946 to February 1997. She was Executive Director from July 1968 until her retirement. Mary represented the highway transportation industry before the Kansas legislature, state and federal agencies and related organizations. She participated in the American Trucking Association national programs, earning the Earl Dove Award; the highest honor the ATA bestows.

After retirement from KMCA, Governor Bill Graves appointed Mary to the Kansas Turnpike Authority, where she served for four four year terms under Governor Graves and Kathleen Sebelius and Mark Parkinson.

Other special honors include KU Woman's Hall of Fame in 1976; Junior Achievement of Kansas Business Hall of Fame 2014; 1978 Woman of Achievement Kansas Press Women; 1992 Woman of Excellence; YWCA Leadership Program and in 2018 she was inducted into the Shawnee County Baseball Hall of Fame.

Extended family survivors are daughters, Judith Grant and her son Mitchell, Lawrence; Jean Myers, Topeka; son, Jerry Taylor (Syl) and their three daughters, Kim, Stacy, and Jennifer and families. Other survivors include nephew, David Turkington (Mae), Utah; nephew, Tyler Turkington (Erica) and family, Olathe; niece, Debbie Innes (Ron), Wichita; and her daughters, Kim Jones (Shelly), K.C., MO; Kerry Lea Connolly (Ron), Topeka and daughter Haley; sister-in-law, Edris Turkington, Silver Springs, MD and her daughter Becky Congdon (Shaun), New York; Susan L. Turkington, M.D., Fairfax, VA; niece, Janie Turkington, and nephews John Turkington, Randy Johnson, McCune, Kansas and his children Karen Williams (Eddie) and Chris Johnson; Dr. Mary Menninger-Corder, Topeka, KS and her children Amy, Dr. Ben, Zack and Alex and her sister Janet Turner (Geoff) and brother Charles.

Memorial contributions may be made in her name to the Kansas State Historical Society, Emily Taylor Center for Women and Gender Equality at the University of Kansas, First United Methodist Church in Topeka and may be sent in care of Penwell-Gabel Mid-Town Chapel, 1321 SW 10th Ave, Topeka, KS 66604.

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