Lena W. (Wiley) Turkington

Lena Marguerite (Wiley) Turkington, 103, of Manchester died on Monday, June 3, 2019. She was the wife of the late Howard Stevenson Turkington Sr. for 66 years. Lena was born on May 16, 1916 in Gilbertville, MA daughter of the late William James Wylie and Martha (Ritchie) Wylie, who came to the United States from County Armagh, Northern Ireland. Lena was a resident of Manchester for 100 years. She attended Manchester public schools, graduating with the Class of 1933 at Manchester High School. She graduated from the Connecticut Institute of Hair Dressing in 1934, and worked for thirteen years as a registered hairdresser and cosmetician in Manchester beauty shops. Prior to retirement in 1979, Lena was employed as a clerical worker at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft for sixteen years. Lena was a member of the Center Congregational Church, Manchester since childhood, and belonged to the Emma Nettleton Group. She then was enrolled as a Senior Soldier in The Salvation Army in 1983, and was a member of The Home League and Primetimers. In 1954, Lena and Howard were part of a grassroot movement of a small Connecticut parent’s group that started the Children’s Cystic Fibrosis Association of Connecticut. The organization sparked the first state legislation anywhere in the United States to extend financial aid to parents of children with Cystic Fibrosis. Lena leaves her daughter, Carol Lee Turkington of Manchester, many nieces and nephews and dear friends. Lena was predeceased by her son, Howard Stevenson Turkington, Jr. (1970), and daughter Joan Marie Turkington (1959). She was also predeceased by five brothers, William D. Wylie, Joseph Wiley, Milton Wylie, Wilfred Wiley, and Howard Wylie, three sisters, Edna Magnell, Ruby Quintal and Ethel Blinn, and brothers-in-law, William Edward Turkington and Douglas Jacob Turkington. Funeral services will be celebrated on Friday, June 7, 2019 at 11 am at The Salvation Army, 661 Main Street in Manchester with Majors Joan and William Bode officiating. Burial will follow in East Cemetery, Manchester. There will be no calling hours. Memorial contributions may be made to the Manchester Salvation Army or to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 175 Silas Deane Highway, Wethersfield, CT 06109. Holmes-Watkins Funeral Home, Manchester has care of the arrangements. Lena brought warmth and kindness to all who knew her. She was a loving and dedicated wife and mother. To leave an online condolence please visit www.holmeswatkins.com

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