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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3to learn of the death of Melody Lynn (Jackson) Turner of Oak
4Park, who passed away on May 2, 2023 at the age of 80; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Melody Turner was born to Welles and Freida
6(Busch) Jackson in Austin, Texas, on August 3, 1942; she
7developed a love for music early in life, and her first
8instrument was the accordion, followed by the piano and
9violin; by age fifteen, she was also playing the organ in her
10first position at a church, with many others to follow; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Melody Turner graduated from high school in
12Toledo, Ohio; she received a bachelor's degree in music from
13Indiana University; she later earned her master's degree from
14Union Theological Seminary; she began studying for a Ph.D. at
15the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign but ultimately
16decided to spend more time with her family and on her career,
17stepping away from the program; and
 
18    WHEREAS, During her 20-year tenure at First Presbyterian
19Church in Springfield, Melody Turner met her future husband,
20Dale R. Turner; together, they had two daughters, Alison and
21Justine; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Melody Turner worked at other religious
2institutions, including First Methodist and a synagogue,
3learning Hebrew at the latter to become more involved in
4services; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Melody Turner founded the Springfield Oratorio
6Choir in 1971, which still exists today as the Springfield
7Choral Society; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Melody Turner also discovered a passion for
9creating stained-glass windows while in Springfield; at
10Melotte Morse Studio, she worked on the State Capitol
11Building's dome restoration, styling the center seal herself;
12she also spent a considerable amount of time in a personal
13studio, which was built by her husband, where she created
14windows for their home and family; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Melody Turner moved her family and her
16stained-glass studio to Oak Park in 1989, where she made her
17mark on local architecture through an extensive restoration of
18windows in a Frank Lloyd Wright home; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Melody Turner took her performing arts talents to
20Chicago, becoming the music director and organist at Church of
21Our Savior in the Lincoln Park neighborhood; she retired after
22more than 20 years of service in 2012; before long, she came

 

 

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1out of retirement to accept the position of interim organist
2and music director at St. Paul Episcopal Church in Riverside,
3serving in that role until June 2022; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Melody Turner taught piano and violin to children
5using the Suzuki method at a second in-home studio; she also
6accompanied music students of Michael Hining and performed in
7the West Suburban Symphony and the Symphony of Oak Park and
8River Forest; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Melody Turner donated many of her stained-glass
10creations after she and her husband downsized from their home
11into an apartment; one of her final acts of service was
12teaching at the Oak Park Senior Citizens Center; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Melody Turner enjoyed comedy, puzzles, reading,
14and her faith; her lifelong passions were her children and
15teaching music; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Melody Turner was preceded in death by her
17parents and her husband; and
 
18    WHEREAS, At the time of her passing, Melody Turner was
19survived by her daughters, Alison Duray (Mark) and Justine
20Turner Smith (Mike); her grandchildren, Theodore Duray and
21Alden K. Smith; her siblings, Win Jackson, Tim Jackson, Robin

 

 

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1Sytnik, and Chris Jackson; and her nieces and nephews;
2therefore, be it
 
3    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
4ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
5Melody Lynn (Jackson) Turner and extend our sincere
6condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved
7her; and be it further
 
8    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
9presented to the family of Melody Turner as an expression of
10our deepest sympathy.