Sylvia L. Turkington: June 8, 2018

Sylvia L. Turkington, 83, of Coupeville passed away peacefully on June 8 at her daughter’s home on Camano Island.

Sylvia was surrounded and cared for by her loving children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren for the last few months. Most traveled from Alaska, where Sylvia moved in 1969 from Connecticut to raise her family. This is a testament to the love and care with which she raised her children. She was born in Providence, R.I. and was preceded in death by her father Albert E. Lownes, mother Barbara S. Lownes, and sisters Ann Hamilton and Carol Homer. Sylvia is survived by her brother Richard “Dick” Lownes of Maine (wife, Valerie Lownes) and her six children, Bradford James Turkington, Therese Turkington, Linda T. Jones (husband Troy A. Jones), Kevin Michael Turkington (wife Angela Turkington), Jeffrey Alden Turkington (wife Heather W. Turkington), and Leslie T. Whaley (husband William J. Whaley). She is also survived by her many grandchildren and loved being “GG” to her great-grandchildren.

In life, Sylvia was a lover of history, nature, animals and her community. She often volunteered her time and talents to the communities she lived in from staffing the polls in Alaska to the Coupeville Garden Club and Historical Society. Sylvia’s passions were gardening and the arts and she prided herself on always learning.

Sylvia didn’t just “try” a new art – she mastered it. Whether it was cake decorating, carving soap stone, painting an oil portrait or a water color landscape, crocheting an afghan, sewing matching outfits for Christmas, embroidering, cross-stitching, making beautiful quilts by hand (every stitch so perfect that many thought it had been done by a machine) or knitting a beautiful original pattern sweater. She loved to pass on her love of the arts and often taught classes at the local colleges, yarn or fabric shop, or in her home studio. She was a master knitter and had many published patterns. As always, she used her talents to help others and spent many hours knitting baby blankets for the neonatal hospital and warm hats and mittens for many charities around the country.

Sylvia taught us that as long as what you say and do comes from a place of love and compassion, you can’t go wrong. She was a loyal friend and her independence was fierce, her grace embracing, her acceptance total. She spoke her truth lovingly and left her legacy for future generations. Please join us for a celebration of life. Sylvia’s family will be hosting an outdoor garden party Aug. 4, 2018 at 3 p.m. in her honor at her beloved Victorian home at 1209 NE Leisure St., Coupeville. We will serve refreshments, light fare and desserts. Tents will be set up in case of weather. We are asking in lieu of flowers to donate to the local animal shelter. There will be a donation basket set up.

Please park along the street leaving room for vehicles to pass.