Joanna Turner Burgoyne

1930 - 2024

Joanna Turner Burgoyne

February 12, 1930 - September 27, 2024

Joanna Turner Burgoyne, 94, passed away peacefully at her home on September 27, 2024, surrounded by her family. She was loving, kind, smart and witty, and to her family she was the best mom ever. Joannie was a wonderfully devoted mother to her five children and a loving and supportive wife to her late husband, Doug. Joannie and Doug were the love of each other's lives and they were inseparable.

Joannie is survived by her sons: Doug (Susan), Rob, and Bill (Amy); her daughter-in-law, Bonny (David's widow); her grandchildren: John, Jodi, Travis, Jack, Will, Anna, Rachael, Gwen, and Israel; her great-grandchildren: Stefan, Nathaniel, Rowan, Aiden, Aryonna, and Ethan. Her honorary daughter, Amy Dilworth, and honorary son, Basiru Kanaji, also survive her.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Daniel Norman Turner and Joanna Cheeseman Turner, her husband The Reverend Douglas Gray Burgoyne, her daughter, Mari, and her son, David. She also lost a daughter, Cathy, who died shortly after birth in 1958.

Born February 12, 1930, in Strafford, Pennsylvania, Joannie was the only daughter in a family with three older brothers. She attended Agnes Irwin and Springside Schools and later moved to Williamstown, Massachusetts where she worked as a secretary for Williams College.

Joannie endured many tragedies in her life. By the age of 16 she had lost both parents and her oldest brother, Daniel, had been killed in action in World War II. Her daughter Mari was tragically killed at the age of 21, and her son David died of respiratory illness at the age of 53. Despite the immense losses in her life, she remained steadfast in her trust and faith in God. Her life experiences created a foundation for Joannie to be a loving and compassionate listener, an empathetic friend and a life mentor for so many people she encountered. She was considered a mother to more than just those to whom she gave birth; Joannie truly loved and cared for so many who were a part of her life.

Joannie was grateful and cognizant of her many blessings which centered around family, friends, and the many relationships developed in her journey as a loving and supportive wife of an Episcopal minister. She met Doug Burgoyne in Williamstown, and they married in 1952. Doug's career journey took them to St. Petersburg, Florida (a tour of duty in the Coast Guard), Flushing, New York (insurance business), Cambridge, Massachusetts (seminary), and then on to Episcopal parishes in Ontario, Oregon; Williamstown, Massachusetts; Newport News, Virginia; and finally, to Richmond, Virginia.

Joannie welcomed people from all walks of life to her home and to her kitchen. Together with her husband, they provided counsel, prayer, fellowship, love and support. Their home was a refuge for those who were homesick, suffering difficult periods in their lives, or just needing a safe and happy place to rest. Joannie was fond of the belief that "no one ever comes to your door, but that they are sent". She had an amazing ministry of her own, always "behind the scenes", but in many ways equally wonderful and meaningful as her husband's.

In Williamstown, Joannie's kitchen was a hub of activity. Each Saturday morning was an open invitation for delicious crepe-like pancakes. Williams College students and friends loved her pancakes and found a home-away-from-home at the large kitchen table. The Saturday morning pancake gatherings continued to be a tradition for many years in both Newport News and Richmond as she served new friends and a growing family of in-laws and grandchildren. The family estimates that she served thousands of pancakes through the years.

Joannie was an avid reader and wrote poetry. In the early 1990's she wrote a memoir. Her family delighted in reading her book aloud as they surrounded her in her final days. Her book spans the time from her early memories as a young girl to the time of her daughter's tragic death and provides vivid descriptions of many friends, family, and experiences. The memoir provides a rich family history and a beautiful insight into her abiding love for her husband and family as well as her deep trust and faith in God's plan for her life. Her life story is told through many humorous stories, reflections on faith, and contemplations of her sorrows and joys through the years.

A celebration of Joannie's remarkable life and funeral service will be held on October 11, 2024, at 2:30 pm at All Saint's Episcopal Church located at 8787 River Road in Richmond, Virginia 23229. Funeral arrangements are in the care of Bennett Funeral Home. Burial at Westhampton Memorial Park will be private. Memorial contributions may be made to: All Saint's Episcopal Church (Human Needs Fund), St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Newport News, or to a church or charity of the donor's choice. The family gives special thanks for the eight years of exceptionally loving care from the staff at Spring Arbor (now known as Hermitage-Deep Run), and from Suncrest Hospice.