Her service and burial were nothing short of amazing. There was a huge outpouring of love towards her from more people than we could ever imagine. Multiple people said that the spirit in the room was one of celebration and remembrance, and that’s the way she would have wanted it. She always said there would be no tears or crying at her funeral. I had the honor of speaking at the service, along with her friend Michele Maughan, and my dad, Jay Turner. My Aunt Christine played a beautiful piano melody and the Young Women sang an incredible song in her honor. Everyone did a wonderful job. Throughout the service, it was easy to feel the overwhelming love and support for both our family and her. There was of course plenty of laughter, but there were also tears. She was an incredible person who gave so much to so many. She made an immeasurable impact on everyone she came in contact with.
At the burial, my Uncle Chad dedicated her grave with respect and gratitude towards her for her sharing her life with us. Something my mom always said was that she wanted chocolate and dancing at her funeral. So, her Young Women got together and decided they would do just that. One of her favorite quotes that she had found on a Dove Chocolate candy was, “Listen to your heartbeat and dance…” The Young Women handed out Dove Chocolate and performed a dance she had created to Mamma Mia. They invited everyone to come up with them, and yes, thanks to my Uncle Chad and myself, we proved that white boys really can’t dance.
The whole thing was a beautiful tribute to an incredible woman who led an amazing life. We will always remember her smile, her many laughs, and the compassion she showed for so many. We know she is up there watching over all of us. We will see her again, but while we prepare for that day, we will live our lives like she did; with passion, grace, and plenty of laughs along the way.
“Listen to your heartbeat and dance…”
On Saturday, June 16th, we all gathered as family members, friends, and as complete strangers to finish the ride she was not able to. ‘Cathi’s Ride’ was organized by Michele and one of the women that had stopped to help at the accident, Lisa Johnson. When they reached the crash site, they took a moment to remember and celebrate her. She had a passion for biking and for living. Everyone who took part was there to be a part of something special and to give thanks for the remarkable woman that she was.
As a family, we want to thank everyone who has been there for us helping us along the way. Unfortunately, I don’t have everyone’s names, but to those who stopped and helped my mom in anyway, thank you for being there and for showing such kindness and selflessness. It has given us a lot of peace knowing that she had everything there that she possibly could have.
Cathi Turner, simply put, was an amazing and truly inspirational human being. She will always be our wife, mother, sister, daughter, and friend. We will never forget her and we will strive to live the life she would want for us.
