Marilyn Turner

December 2, 1931 – March 1, 2022 The family of Marilyn Ann Merkley Turner, is saddened to announce her peaceful passing on Tuesday March 1, 2022 in her Palos Verdes home with her family. Marilyn was born December 2, 1931 in Long Beach, California to Glenn Cameron Merkley and Evelyn Roberts Merkley. She was a graduate of Banning High School in Wilmington, CA. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from the University of Southern California and was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority served as President, as well as being a member of Spurs and Amazons service organization. She met her beloved husband, Thomas Leslie Turner, while attending USC. Mrs. Turner worked for the Los Angeles Unified School District for 30 years as a First Grade, Kindergarten and Pre-K teacher. She was an excellent seamstress, making her own clothes as well as designing and sewing custom antique doll clothes for antique dealer’s dolls. Marilyn enjoyed all types of needlework from needlepoint and petit point, and painting needlepoint canvases for a local shop. She was an avid watcher of the stock market and tracked the family stocks daily once her husband, Tom, passed away. She loved traveling, especially their annual anniversary trip up the California coast to Carmel, and Victoria, British Columbia.
Marilyn is survived by her daughter, Holly Lewis, son-in-law Jeff Lewis, grandchildren Hannah Lewis, Thomas Lewis, Michael Lewis (Mallory), of Tyler, Texas, Dan’l Lewis (Emily) of Covington, Louisiana, 3 great grandchildren, Silas, Maddox and Eloise, and loving caregivers Lolita Garcia and Chita Jose. She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas, parents Glenn and Evelyn Merkley.
Funeral Services will be held March 10, 2022 at 12:30 p.m. graveside at Green Hills Memorial Park in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Shriner’s Children’s Hospital Pasadena, California.