Anne Bell Turnbull

1953 - 2023

TURNBULL, Anne Bell, of Richmond, Va., passed away peacefully on November 17, 2023, at Westminster Canterbury in Richmond. Born in Staunton, Va., on February 6, 1953, Anne was the daughter of the late Dr. Thomas Grasty Bell and the late Lile Tucker Bell. She was also preceded in death by her sister, Virginia "Ginger" B. Trice (Wilson). She is survived by her husband of 46 years, Robert "Rob" M. Turnbull; their two sons, Robert T. Turnbull (Katy) and Edward "Ned" R. Turnbull (Sarah); her siblings, Eleanor B. Washburn (Bill) and Thomas G. Bell, Jr. (Clair); five grandchildren, Katherine, Rand, Clara, Maggie and Jay; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Anne (known as "Gran" to her grandchildren) will always be remembered for her warm smile, approachable manner, and unwavering positive attitude. Family gatherings on Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and birthdays were very important to her and brought joy to her and her family. She loved to take long walks, work in her garden, play tennis and golf, and do volunteer work in the community. As a longtime parishioner of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Anne's faith was an integral part of her life. She was also a member of The Woman's Club and The Country Club of Virginia.

Anne had fond memories of growing up in Staunton and enjoyed vacations at the family camp in Deerfield, Va., on the Calfpasture River. If only those walls could talk! She graduated from Stuart Hall School and Hollins University before moving to Richmond where she met her husband and had her two sons. As her boys started elementary school, she began a long career at St. Christopher's School in admissions where she eventually served as the Director of Lower School Admissions and Director of Financial Aid. Her career at St. Christopher's provided great fulfillment, memories and lifelong relationships. Anne retired from St. Christopher's in 2019 when she was diagnosed with lymphoma. Treatment at VCU Massey Cancer Center caused the disease to go into remission and therapy helped her toward recovery. Unfortunately, she never fully returned to normal activities, but her courage, positive outlook and resilience never wavered despite many challenges and set-backs. The doctors, nurses, and therapists at VCU and Sheltering Arms gave her their full attention and her caregivers were wonderful, especially the devoted in-home care provided by Torasha, Keisha and Garnett.

A memorial service will be held at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 6000 Grove Avenue, Richmond, Va. 23226, on Monday, November 27, at 2 p.m. A livestream of the memorial service will be available at www.ststephensrva.org/memorialstream. Following the memorial service, a reception will be held at the James River Clubhouse of the Country Club of Virginia at 709 S. Gaskins Road, Richmond, Va. 23238. A private burial will be held in Hollywood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Anne's memory to St. Christopher's School, Stuart Hall School, or St. Stephen's Episcopal Church.