Mary Irene Turnbull

TURNBULL, Mary Irene - Born October 26, 1946, Mary Irene Turnbull (nee Tufts), of Bedford, Nova Scotia passed away on April 11, 2023 after a lengthy illness. She was the only daughter of the late Clarence and Alice (Tanner) Tufts and was predeceased by her infant brother James Aubrey Tufts. Mary is survived by her daughter, Kim Turnbull, Granddaughters Cassandra and Maya McCall, and former partner and father of Kim, Geoff Turnbull. Mary was a medical miracle who survived years beyond her prognosis, chatting with family and caregivers until mere hours before she left us to go dance with the Angels. Retired Resource Teacher and renowned Dance Teacher, both Provincially and Nationally, she will be missed by family, friends, and generations of dancers. Mary was widely known for her contributions to both the local and national dance communities. She was a born performer who, at an early age, began what would become an illustrious dance career spanning seven decades. From Canadian Junior Ballroom Champion to co-author of the National Ballet Syllabus of the Canadian Dance Teachers' Association, she shared her passion and love of dance with multiple generations of performers on stages of all kinds. She could be found teaching the fundamentals of proper technique to groups of four-year-olds in church basements as readily as styling the Dance programs of National Champion and Olympic Medallist figure skaters. Her passion also extended to her love of the beach, sailing, tennis, travel, and a good Chardonnay. A celebration of Mary’s life will be held Wednesday, August 9th at 5:30 P.M. at the Lilian Piercey Concert Hall, Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts, 6199 Chebucto Rd., Halifax, N.S., Mi'kma'ki. The family wishes to thank the staff of Kingston Family Health Center, the Dialysis Unit staff at Valley Regional Hospital, the V.O.N. Annapolis Valley branch, A.V. Homecare, the Patient Transport Unit drivers of E.H.S and the Red Cross for their care and support throughout these challenging past few years. In lieu of flowers, donations in Mary’s name may be made to the Kidney Foundation of Canada, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, or a charity of your choice.

"Dance, Dance, Wherever You May Be, I Will Lead You All In the Dance Said She"