Louise Bohmer Turnbull, 101, of Denver, CO passed away peacefully on Saturday, August, 11, 2018. Funeral services will be Friday, August, 17th at 11:00 AM at Olinger Crown Hill Mortuary, Wheat Ridge, CO, followed by her burial at Arvada Cemetery.
Louise Turnbull was born Dora Louise Roesch on June 14, 1917 in Denver, CO at Park Avenue Hospital to Carl and Louise Roesch. When she was about 2 years old, her father passed away and her mother remarried Bruno Bohmer, who became a very loving and devoted step-father to her.
She attended Denver Public Schools, including East High. After graduating she was awarded a scholarship to the University of Denver and obtained a degree in English and Journalism. While attending D.U. she became a member of the Alpha Xi Delta sorority.
Also, while attending D.U., she met her future husband, whom she was married to for 51 years until his passing in 1992. They married on April 11, 1941 in the living room of Bill’s parents’ house in the Park Hill area of Denver where they would eventually live and raise four children of their own: William III, Carl, Laura and Shari.
Her late husband Bill was a pioneer Denver cinematographer. The couple owned and operated Rainbow Pictures, a motion picture, animation and slide film company. Mrs. Turnbull wrote many of the scripts, did voice overs and directed actors of local and national film sponsors.
The Turnbull’s also wrote and produced “The Night Before Christmas,” an animated musical TV special which was nationally telecast for several years. The couple co-authored several musical adaptations of children’s classics. The Wizard of Oz, Pinocchio, and Benji and the Magic Pawn Shop were produced locally by Bonfils Theater and Denver Civic Theater.
For 20 years, Mrs. Turnbull was a teacher at St. Mary’s Academy where she was head of the English department, Forensic Coach, drama director, and led the school newspaper. She was proud that many of her students won state and national writing awards. She also taught adult education classes at the Denver YWCA, was a member of its board of directors, president of the Western Region YWCA and a member of ASCAP.
At home throughout the years, she and her husband Bill hosted international visitors from places such as India and Japan.
She was passionate about writing, gardening, cooking, reading and theatre.
After retiring from St. Mary’s Academy, she volunteered during most elections, continued with her hobby of nurturing her (well-known and loved) garden and enjoyed going the theater. She also wrote for several years as a Colorado Voices columnist for the Denver Post and was so proud to have accomplished this at the age of 87.
Louise survived two kinds of cancer, pneumonia and kidney disease, and worst of all the deaths of her darling son, Bill and beloved husband, William.
She was kind, loving, demonstrative, gracious and warm. She was tough, stubborn, frugal, strict and precise. She was witty, insightful, wise, clever, competitive and extremely smart. She felt the two most important traits a person could have were hard work and honesty…And she certainly lived her life that way.
She will be greatly missed by all those who knew and loved her. She is preceded in death by her son, William Turnbull, III, her husband, William N. Turnbull, Jr., her sister Brunhilda Fonda, and niece Peggy Lang.
Those left to cherish her memory include her son Carl Turnbull and his wife Vicki of Newbury Park, CA; daughter Laura Turnbull and her husband Avi Hoffman of Coral Springs, FL; daughter Shari Barber and her husband Joel of Mission Viejo, CA.
8 grandchildren - Michael Turnbull, Wendy Turnbull, Kip Turnbull, Brie Davis, Samantha Blackburn, Arielle Hoffman, Alexandra Blackburn, & Liana Hoffman.
Also, 8 great-grandchildren - Evan Turnbull, Madelyn Davis, Brynnlie Davis, Gage Turnbull, Kaysen Turnbull, William Turnbull, IV, Cash Davis and Emma Davis.
Nieces & nephew, Susan Fonda, Alan Fonda, and Melita Fonda.
In her honor and based on her wishes, contributions may be sent to the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Denver Dumb Friends League and Denver Civic Theater.
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