Lois J Turnage
July 27, 1955 — March 7, 2022
Lois Turnage passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family on March 7, 2022, after a courageous battle fighting coronavirus, breast cancer, and follicular lymphoma. Lois’ light shined bright, serving and caring for others all of her life. Born on July 27, 1955, Lois was the oldest of seven children, and looked to her parents as role models in her own life. She strived to be like them, putting kindness, love, and hope into the world.
She had a lifelong love of making music, graduating from Michigan State University in 1977 with a degree in Music Education and playing saxophone for 4 years in the Spartan Marching Band, where she was one of its first female members. In 1979, she received her Master of Arts degree from Central Missouri State University, where she met her loving husband, John Turnage. That June, she married John, and together they moved to Pleasantville, Iowa, where Lois had a 31-year career as Pleasantville Elementary’s band and music teacher, and Pleasantville High School’s Dance Team coach.
One of her greatest joys was the impact she had on young people at Pleasantville and across the state of Iowa. She spent nearly 40 years mentoring hundreds of women, coaches, and dance parents through her role as “Coach T,” and helped shape the lives of those involved in Special Olympics, serving as their biggest advocate and number-one fan.
She retired from teaching in 2013 and dance team in 2020, but even in retirement, Lois never stood still. She continued to serve as President of the Iowa State Dance Team Association, coached the Special Olympics Dance Team, served as the Pleasantville Christian Church Board Chair, was selected as a Bill Riley State Fair Talent Show Judge, volunteered at numerous community events, and always spoke out for what she knew was right through local organizations. Lois leaves a profound legacy in all of her leadership roles.
Lois found joy in life’s simple pleasures: camping, cycling with family at the Shoreline West Michigan Bicycle Tour, rode her bike across the state of Iowa for RAGBRAI, reading, gardening, and spending precious time with her loved ones. She loved her family deeply, and was so very proud of the life she had built.
Lois was a woman radiating positive energy in every interaction she had. Her love of life was contagious and made everyone around her feel important and cared for. Lois was a woman of strong faith with a devotion to her church family, the Pleasantville Christian Church. She took the lead in rebuilding her church after a catastrophic fire damaged the original structure beyond repair, and her presence will be felt there every day. Her faith carried her through all of life’s challenges, and she relied upon it heavily in her final days.
Her light still burns bright, and can be seen in her husband John Turnage, son Mark, daughters Michelle and Megan, son-in-law Michael, siblings Carolyn (Don), Bob (Nancy), John (Nina), Donna, Ann (Mark), and James, sister-in-law Judy (Art) and nieces, cousins, and friends that were like family. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ken and Lois Ward, brother-in-law Bill Turnage, brother-in-law Bobby Adams and father and mother-in-law, William and Betty Turnage.
The family would like to thank the medical team at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, her Oncologist Dr. Angela Sandre, and the ICU nurses and doctors, for providing so much compassion, care and love to Lois and her family members. We are eternally grateful to you.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Pleasantville Christian Church, Mid-Iowa Boxer Rescue of Carlisle or to Special Olympics Iowa.
She had a lifelong love of making music, graduating from Michigan State University in 1977 with a degree in Music Education and playing saxophone for 4 years in the Spartan Marching Band, where she was one of its first female members. In 1979, she received her Master of Arts degree from Central Missouri State University, where she met her loving husband, John Turnage. That June, she married John, and together they moved to Pleasantville, Iowa, where Lois had a 31-year career as Pleasantville Elementary’s band and music teacher, and Pleasantville High School’s Dance Team coach.
One of her greatest joys was the impact she had on young people at Pleasantville and across the state of Iowa. She spent nearly 40 years mentoring hundreds of women, coaches, and dance parents through her role as “Coach T,” and helped shape the lives of those involved in Special Olympics, serving as their biggest advocate and number-one fan.
She retired from teaching in 2013 and dance team in 2020, but even in retirement, Lois never stood still. She continued to serve as President of the Iowa State Dance Team Association, coached the Special Olympics Dance Team, served as the Pleasantville Christian Church Board Chair, was selected as a Bill Riley State Fair Talent Show Judge, volunteered at numerous community events, and always spoke out for what she knew was right through local organizations. Lois leaves a profound legacy in all of her leadership roles.
Lois found joy in life’s simple pleasures: camping, cycling with family at the Shoreline West Michigan Bicycle Tour, rode her bike across the state of Iowa for RAGBRAI, reading, gardening, and spending precious time with her loved ones. She loved her family deeply, and was so very proud of the life she had built.
Lois was a woman radiating positive energy in every interaction she had. Her love of life was contagious and made everyone around her feel important and cared for. Lois was a woman of strong faith with a devotion to her church family, the Pleasantville Christian Church. She took the lead in rebuilding her church after a catastrophic fire damaged the original structure beyond repair, and her presence will be felt there every day. Her faith carried her through all of life’s challenges, and she relied upon it heavily in her final days.
Her light still burns bright, and can be seen in her husband John Turnage, son Mark, daughters Michelle and Megan, son-in-law Michael, siblings Carolyn (Don), Bob (Nancy), John (Nina), Donna, Ann (Mark), and James, sister-in-law Judy (Art) and nieces, cousins, and friends that were like family. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ken and Lois Ward, brother-in-law Bill Turnage, brother-in-law Bobby Adams and father and mother-in-law, William and Betty Turnage.
The family would like to thank the medical team at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, her Oncologist Dr. Angela Sandre, and the ICU nurses and doctors, for providing so much compassion, care and love to Lois and her family members. We are eternally grateful to you.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Pleasantville Christian Church, Mid-Iowa Boxer Rescue of Carlisle or to Special Olympics Iowa.
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