Wayne's Sister's Funeral

Wayne's only sister, Anna Marie Turley, passed away a week ago on February 18th. 

Anna Marie Turley
November 20, 1937 - February 18, 2024 

Anna Marie Turley passed away after a short stay in hospice on February 18, 2024. She was the eldest of two children born to Wayne and Helen Wride. Anna Marie is survived by her children Julie Turley, Shelley Turley (John Rothermich), Scott Turley (Sara Swim), Karen Turley, eight grandchildren, and her brother, Wayne Wride. She was preceded in death by her parents, and her beloved husband, Thad Turley. A native of Payson, Utah, Anna Marie moved to Arizona with her husband in 1963, and never left. She loved living in the desert, was an avid reader of Elizabethan history, and a college basketball fan. She loved watching her musical Arizona-based grandchildren perform. A lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she earned an education degree from Brigham Young University, served full-time as a missionary in the Church’s Eastern States Mission, happily served in church callings from visiting teacher to Sunday School librarian, and was an active and cherished member of her local congregation up until her death. Anna Marie married Thad Brady Turley on August 16, 1963, in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple after meeting him at a Brigham Young University singles dance seven weeks prior. The couple moved between Arizona and California where they raised their four children. After her husband’s death, Anna Marie was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum. The diagnosis of her disability did much to explain her life’s challenges, and compelled those close to her to interpret her life with more generosity and grace. A viewing prior to the funeral service will be from 5 pm to 6 pm on Sunday, February 25th at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1054 West 2nd Place, Mesa, AZ 85201. The funeral service will commence at 6 pm at the same location. Interment will take place on Monday, February 26th at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona.

Here's a cute picture of Wayne as a toddler with his big sister. 

Mark and Chalane came by here very early this morning (5 am) to pick up Corey, and the three of them drove down to Phoenix Arizona for the funeral tonight. The burial will be tomorrow morning. Anna Marie's husband, Thad, served in the armed forces and was buried in a veterans cemetery, and it is not open on the weekend, so they had to wait for Monday for her to be buried there with him. Wayne, Nancy, and Anna Marie's daughter, Karen, who lives here in SL, all flew down together. Selfie at the funeral -

I met Anna Marie a few times, but it's been a while. Joseph was the last one in our family to see her. 

He went and visited the her when he was an FSY counselor in Arizona this past summer. Joseph went by and had dinner with her and her son Scott and his family at their home in Tempe - Jun11, 2023

Pictured here, Corey's cousin Scott, his wife Sara, their kids and Anna Marie.

We are glad that Corey was able to go down to be with family and support Wayne. They got there at 3, cleaned up in Wayne and Nancy's hotel room, went to the funeral, and then started the drive home right after the funeral, so they are on the road now. Mark had to get back for work at 10. I think they'll be here around 6:30 am. Doesn't sound any fun to sleep in a car or to drive in the dark. And a 10 hour drive is nothing compared to a drive to Dallas for the eclipse, which I have been talking about doing... Perhaps I have not thought that through! That's coming up in just over a month. We'll see. Things were good here. The house was super quiet today. It was a beautiful warm day (58 degrees!) and the little kids were playing outside while the teenagers slept most of the afternoon. We watched "The Miracle Worker" tonight, the story of Helen Keller and her teacher Anne Sullivan, and wow, so powerful! I watched it as a kid, but didn't catch most of it. I was so inspired, I'll talk about that tomorrow. We're probably going to have to watch it again next Sunday so Corey can see it too (and Abi missed most of it too. Lily Sophi and Natalie and I all loved it!). It brings up great topics of discussion on love, pity, enabling or authoritative parenting/teaching, lots of good stuff. Helen was so blessed to have a teacher with such vision and long suffering patience! (...and we have one too, in Christ! <3)