Margaret Lucy (Butts) Turner Obituary

On December 11, 2020, God called home a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, Margaret Lucy Turner, of Richmond, VA. She was born in Chesapeake, VA on December 4, 1930 to the late Rev. Dr. David P. Butts & Mrs. Minnie Harrison Butts.
Margaret accepted Christ at an early age and joined Providence Congregational Christian Church in Chesapeake. She graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in Norfolk and later worked on the Old Bay Line Cruise Ship from Norfolk to Baltimore, where she met the love of her life, William Clifton Turner, affectionately known as Cliff. They married on August 27, 1955. Together, they raised a son who preceded them both in death, James H. Brooks, a former medic and staff sergeant in the US Army, better known as Jimmy.
Margaret and family later moved to Richmond where she joined Second Baptist Church. For over 23 years, she worked for various businesses and organizations, including The Betty Lewis Bakery, Fairmont Nursery, and Tiny Angels Day Care. Margaret studied at J. Sergeant Reynolds Community College and later retired from Memorial Child Guidance Clinic as a receptionist. She was an American Red Cross volunteer and avid attendee for the conferences on the National Council for Black Child Development and the National Conference on the Survival of Black Children and Youth. Margaret enjoyed fellowshipping at church until her husband’s health declined.
Margaret’s favorite past-times were cooking, reading, watching TV and spending time with family and friends; she loved listening to gospel as well as jazz; Cliff was a jazz enthusiast. Margaret was preceded in death by her husband, her sister Doris Scarbrough, and her brothers David, Frank, and Raymond Butts.
To cherish her loving memory, Margaret leaves granddaughters, Nadine Brooks of Augsburg, Germany and Minette Brown of Covina, CA; great-grandchildren, Taleeq Brooks, Iman, Iliana & Nikko Eral all of Germany and Monyette & Marquise Brown and Marquette Ross all of CA; and four great-great-grandchildren: Taiyse, Keyonte’, Dakota & Mason all of CA.
Additionally, Margaret leaves a beloved daughter-in-law, Lotte Rabl, of Augsburg, Germany; sister, Naomi Tucker and her husband, Joshua, of Norfolk; sisters and brothers-in-law: Dorothy Butts of NY, Bessie Murphy of CA, John & Dorothy Williams, Bernard & Jean Butler, Evonia Manson, Walter McKinney, and David & Freda Turner all of CT, Geraldine Butts, Samuel Warren, Sr., and Janice Turner all of VA. Also, to cherish Margaret’s memory, are adopted sons, daughters, and dear neighbors and friends, Greta Trent, Angelo Jordan (Susie), Timothy Jones, Gloria Underdo, Harry Davis, John & Vanessa Chestnut, and great-niece, Latorial Faison (Carl) all of VA.
A host of nieces, nephews, cousins, relatives, and friends will remember Margaret as the beautiful, kind soul that she was to many. Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family.