Joy M. Starry Turner

JOY M. STARRY TURNER Born February 26, 1939, Oklahoma City; Died July 11, 2005, of complications of COPD at La Palma Intercommunity Hospital. 33-year resident of Fountain Valley. An internationally recognized Montessori educator, she founded and administered Montessori Greenhouse Schools, Los Alamitos and Garden Grove (1970), and Montessori Western Teacher Training Program (1973) with her husband, Charles C. Turner. She received a BA in Journalism, Phi Beta Kappa, from Okla. Univ. (1959), and an MA Education, Phi Delta Kappa, at CSULB (1978). She served on the Board of Directors of the American Montessori Society (1979-85), and became the moving force in establishing uniform standards for Montessori teacher education in the United States, first as President of the Accreditation Council for Childhood Education Specialist Schools (ACCESS) (1985-89) and then as President and later Executive Director of the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE) (1991-96). In the midst of these tasks she served as Editor of Montessori Life, the quarterly journal of the AMS (1989-2004) which won several EdPress awards under her leadership. A prolific author, she accumulated more than 80 publication credits in journals and edited books. A devoted wife and mother, she was predeceased by her husband Charles (d. 2002) and son Grant James (May 2005). She is survived by her younger son Charles Geoffrey, daughters-in-law Marci and Kathy, and five grandchildren. Memorial services will be held at 3 PM, Saturday Aug. 13 at Montessori Greenhouse, 5856 Belgrave, Garden Grove, CA 92845. No flowers, please. Contributions in support of scholarships for Montessori education may be made to the Charles and Joy Turner Educational Foundation at 5152 Katella Suite #101, Los Alamitos, 90720.