Kristie was far more than these words could ever capture. She was loved immensely by everyone who knew her. She was an incredible wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. She lived her life positively and without judgment of others, was always willing to help when she could, and could always be counted on for great conversation. Particularly if the topic was Outlander or Drag Racing.
Kristie was born to Maxine Winnifred Peterson and Emmett Boyd Turner, Jr, as the eldest of three girls. Kristie and her sisters, Lorie and Jodie, called Manhattan Beach, California home. Kristie spent much of her youth dancing all styles, from ballet to jazz, to tap, and was happiest in a studio. A description of Kristie’s life would be incomplete without further mention of her mother, Maxine, who became a widow when Kristie was seven years old. Maxine raised her three girls on her own, instilling incredible strength and resilience in her daughters. Maxine always made sure her family came first, and Kristie did as well. Family was everything.
On July 7th, 1973, Kristie married Randy Randall in Torrance, California. One of Kristie’s favorite stories is when, as she was leaving for her and Randy’s first official date, her mom wasn’t so sure that Randy was the type of guy her daughter should be dating. Kristie responded, “I’m not going to marry the guy!” Maxine quickly changed her mind, however, particularly after Randy learned Maxine’s way of doing laundry. As the story goes, it was then that Maxine knew Randy would always take care of Kristie.
Kristie and Randy spent their time riding bicycles at the beach, riding dirt bikes at Jawbone Canyon, and camping. When Kristie danced in the Disneyland Parade each summer, Randy wasn’t too far away, grabbing food while she worked and picking her up afterward every night. Randy also introduced Kristie to drag racing, and the rest, as they say, “is history.”
Kristie’s support for others was also displayed in her career as a middle and high school English teacher. She loved her students beyond measure and worked hard to ensure they were set up for a successful life. She brought her love for the English language home as well, sharing stories from literature, stories about her students, and especially making sure that everyone always used proper English when speaking. She was known to interrupt if anyone used incorrect subjective/objective first person pronouns, playfully asking “who?...who?...” until the mistake was corrected.
In 1979, Kristie and Randy welcomed their first child, a son, Seth Boyd. Their daughter Adrianne Naomi was born three years later, in 1982. Kristie was an amazing mother. She made sure both kids knew they were loved, gave them kisses as much as they would tolerate, and helped them get involved in any activity they wished. She taught them the importance of family, as her mother had done for her, and encouraged them to be strong and independent people. She allowed them to falter without judgment and always gave them unconditional love and support. When Seth and Adrianne’s families expanded, Kristie welcomed their spouses with open arms. Kristie’s heart had no bounds. Kristie was promoted to Grandma in 2011 when, in August, Seth and his wife Gilly had their son Reef and again in December, when Adrianne and her husband Matt had their first daughter Ellie. Kristie was given a third grandchild, Piper, in September 2015.
If Kristie was an incredible mother, she was an even better grandmother. The love she carried for her three grandchildren came through in everything she did, and each of them had their own unique relationship with her. As toddlers, Reef and Grandma played cars together, Ellie and Grandma loved to snuggle and dance, and Grandma loved to watch Piper sing, dance, and get into stuff. Kristie always knew how to connect with each of her grandchildren and support them in anything and everything they did. If you knew Kristie, chances are she bragged abouther grandkids at least a few times.
Her love for her niece Hannah and her nephew Jamie was endless, and she became attached to her newest niece, Poppy, immediately. She had special bonds with everyone. Whether you were family by blood or by choice, Kristie embraced everyone equally. She was a matriarch, period. People naturally gathered at her home for holidays, events, and everything in between. Birthdays were celebrated at her kitchen table, parties were held at her pool, and Christmas was the event of the year. There were casual dinners where Kristie cooked her famous tacos and larger gatherings where she spent hours in the kitchen preparing dinner for everyone, with Randy acting as her sous chef of course. Ironically, she hated to cook. But her happiness when everyone was together overrode that. It was simply about family.
Kristie is preceded in death by her father, EB, and her mother, Maxine. She is survived by her husband Randy, her son Seth and daughter-in-law Gilly, her daughter Adrianne and son-in-law Matt, her sister Lorie and brother-in-law Bill, her sister Jodie, her grandson Reef, her granddaughter Ellie, her granddaughter Piper, her nephew Jamie, her niece Hannah, and her niece Poppy.
The family is planning a celebration of life, with more information to come.
Sing me a song of a lass that is gone
Say, could that lass be I?
Merry of soul, she sailed on a day
Over the sea to Skye
Billow and breeze, islands and seas
Mountains of rain and sun (mountains of rain and sun)
All that was good, all that was fair
All that was me is gone
Sing me a song of a lass that is gone
Say, could that lass be I?
Merry of soul, she sailed on a day
Over the sea to Skye
Sing me a song of a lass that is gone
Say, could that lass be I?
-Song by Bear McCreary
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