TURNBULL, Marjene

It is with profound sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Marjene Sachiko Turnbull of Onoway, Alberta on Sunday, March 19, 2023 at 75 years of age.

Marjene is lovingly remembered by her husband Brian of 53 years; her children: Adam (Katie), Miya (Jake), and Michael (Lindsey); her grandchildren: Jacob, Azalea, Beatrix, Betty, Grant, and Mary; her sister Kathy (Keith); Brian’s siblings: Bill (Laura), Cathie (John) and Keith (Kathy); aunts: Tomi Hisaoka (Jerry, dec), Michie Kawasaki (Tad, dec), and Heather Anderson (Harry); nieces and nephews: Christine, Darlene (Eddie), Karen, Jared (Isabelle), David (Kellie), and Linda (Jeremy) and numerous cousins. She is predeceased by her parents (Kimiko née Hisaoka and Todomu Matsunaga of Lethbridge, AB), Brian’s parents (Elizabeth née Forryan and Jared Turnbull of Onoway, AB), and many aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Marjene was born in Vernon, BC and grew up in Lethbridge, AB. She attended the University of Alberta where she met Brian and graduated with a B.Ed. (1970). She moved to Onoway, AB and taught briefly at the elementary school before staying at home with her 3 children and focused on art, pottery, sculpting, Japanese dance, gardening, and farming. She loved being with all her grandchildren and her legacy includes a written history of her family’s experience during the Japanese Canadian Internment (Hisaoka History Memoirs). A major highlight was exhibiting several of her sculptures at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) for the exhibit, ‘Being Japanese Canadian: reflections on a broken world’ (2019), of which one piece was purchased for their permanent collection. Recently Marjene was so excited to record our family history with her voice for the Nikkei Memory Capture Project, a history of Japanese Canadians of Southern Alberta. We are so proud of her contributions and dedication to do this for us and future generations.

The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute for their care and attention. In lieu of flowers or Koden, donations can be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada or the University Hospital Foundation. A private memorial for the family will take place at a later date.