Leila Beryl Turner, 87, of Austin, Texas, went peacefully and joyfully into the everlasting arms of God on the morning of March 31, 2019. Born in Topeka, Kansas December 8, 1931 to Hazel Muriel and Willard Leroy Berry, Leila grew up amid a large extended family, which gave her a vision for the close-knit culture she would develop inside her own family. She enjoyed playing high school basketball and later attended Texas Women's University in Denton as a dance major.
Leila worked as an attendant for the Santa Fe Railroad, a point of pride for her home state of Kansas. She later became a flight attendant for Trans World Airlines where she once waited on Liberachi. After TWA, she worked for The Officer’s Club in Salina, Kansas where she met her husband, Jimmy Otho Turner. For their first date, she invited him to play golf in the February snow; he accepted. They married on his birthday, October 12, 1957, and immediately moved to Spain to follow Jim’s military career. Their son, William, was born overseas in 1958 and their daughter, Lea, at Bossier Base in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1961. Shortly thereafter, Jim was stationed in Abilene, Texas. In 1966 they moved to Austin, where they had their third and final child, Teresa, in 1972.
Leila's children remember how devoted she was to the projects and clubs in which she participated. They volunteered at the Boys’ Home in Abilene, she led the Austin chapter of Children of the American Revolution, and she became a Cub Scout Den Mother. She remained involved in the Church and developed a faith that she passed on to her children. She became a real estate agent in Austin, owning Anchor Mortgage Lending and Leila Turner, Broker Real Estate. Texas Monthly magazine recognized her for being among the most ethical mortgage brokers.
A homemaker, a very successful real estate agent, a loved friend, and a peerless grandmother, Leila was a woman who knew and loved her family and heritage. She enjoyed working and hunting on their farm in Lampasas. She was fiercely adventurous and ready to try new things. She valued fun and curiosity: road-tripping across the United States with her children and friends. They even traveled to Panama when Jim was stationed there. Her grandchildren remember camping in her backyard, vacationing on the coast, her many quips, and how she emphasized the importance of eating dessert first. She taught them spontaneity and excitement. She gave them experiences and memories to cherish for a lifetime. She had that unforgettable “Berry Smile” and a contagious laugh.
This beloved wife, mother, and granny was preceded in death by her parents Willard and Hazel Berry, her sister Lea Vanderberry (Robert), along with many of her cherished aunts, uncles, and cousins. She is survived by her son William Turner, her daughters Lea Klingspor (Jonas) and Teresa Crone (Stephan), grandchildren Olivia Miller, Haley, Darby and Turner Whatley, Isaac, Rebekah, Jerusha, Malachi, Jedidiah, and Asher Crone. Services will be held Thursday, April 4th at (evening) at Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home, Pflugerville, Texas and Friday, April 5th at 10:30 am at Walnut Creek Church in Austin, Texas.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Walnut Creek Baptist Church in loving memory of Leila Beryl Turner.
