Dr Turner Obituary Turner, Dr. Terilyn Carol 62, of Mound, MN and Marco Island, FLA, died peacefully in her sleep Wednesday, January 28, 2009, after an eight year battle with cancer. A memorial service is scheduled for 3:30 pm Tuesday, February 3, 2009 at St. Martin's By the Lake Episcopal Church, 2801 Westwood Road, PO Box 38, Minnetonka Beach, MN 55361. Whether Teri was talking with a friend about the latest book she was reading, raising money for a community July 4th fireworks display, sending encouraging e-mails to her doctoral students, working in her garden, or preparing for her next trip to her beloved Florida beach, she always inspired the people around her with her sharp intellect, commitment to excellence and generosity of spirit. She and her husband of 31 years, John Briggs, relocated to the Twin Cities from Charlotte, NC in 1983. Avid boaters, they lived and played on Lake Minnetonka and in the Gulf of Mexico. For more than 20 years, she made the 70-mile roundtrip drive from their home in Mound to Saint Paul every day where she held a variety of positions before being named Superintendent of Community Education for Saint Paul Public Schools. She was a staunch advocate for preschool, adult and continuing education programs, and thanks to her devotion to helping others, thousands of students now lead more productive lives. After her retirement in 2004, she became an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota and taught, mentored and advised doctoral students in education throughout the nation as a faculty member at Capella University. The pathway of Dr. Turner's life was marked by a concern and commitment to helping others. When she accepted the challenge of working online with principals and teachers who were candidates for doctorate degrees, she became not just a teacher, but also a mentor and a friend to her students. She personalized the computer learning process by picking up the phone and sharing her own experiences as an educational administrator with her students. Her joy came from helping others achieve their dreams. Former Saint Paul Public Schools Superintendent Pat Harvey said the fullness of Dr. Turner's life was an inspiration to her. Teri had the most beautiful rose garden I've ever seen, and her attention to the meaning behind the art that she and her husband collected made every piece come alive. At work, there always was a smile in her voice no matter how hard the decisions she had to make. In addition to her husband, she is survived by her aunt, Barbara Brown of Ft. Lauderdale, FLA; her adopted family including Jesse Tibbetts, Cookie and Dick Carlson, Steve Tibbetts, and DeeAnn Tibbetts and their children; a large and loving community of friends located throughout the nation, and by her beloved cat F. Spot Fitzgerald. Her mother, Carol Heck Turner, a teacher, actress and Shakespearean scholar who instilled in her daughter a lifelong love of reading, and her dear friends Dan and Hazel Tibbetts preceded her in death. Dr. Turner will be buried next to her mother in Ft. Lauderdale. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to For the Love of Cats"", a Marco Island charity dedicated to saving abandoned cats. Donations should be sent to P.O. Box 1777, Marco Island, FL 34146. David Lee Funeral Home Wayzata 952-473-5577