Madelyn Pert Turner

Madelyn Pert Turner Madelyn Pert Turner passed away on May 16, 2018 at the age of 70 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, Madelyn was the only child of the late David Montgomery Pert and Madelyn Brown Pert. She graduated from North Central High School and studied at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, where she received an A.B. in French Language and Literature. A lifelong Francophile and lover of world culture, Madelyn was selected to participate in the Indiana University Honors Program in Foreign Languages for High School Students in Saint-Brieuc, France. She later studied abroad at the University of Paris, Sorbonne, and the University of the Americas, Mexico City. She met her husband, Marvin C. Turner, in Bergen, Norway while traveling in the summer of 1968. Madelyn and Marvin married on December 27, 1969 at First-Meridian Heights Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis. Madelyn continued her education at Rice University in Houston, Texas where she received her Doctor of Philosophy in French Literature. Madelyn and Marvin moved to Alexandria, Virginia in 1972, where she began her career at the Delegation to the Commi...[more]

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on of the European Communities in Washington, D.C.. Madelyn spent over 15 years in the Fairfax County Public School system as a high school French teacher and school counselor. Her passion for education and empowering students inspired her to complete a Master of Arts in Education and Human Development in the field of School Counseling from the George Washington University in Washington D.C. Madelyn was a beloved and spirited member of her community. She was an active member of the Old Presbyterian Meeting House in Alexandria, Virginia for over 43 years, where she served as a church elder and deacon. Madelyn was a member of the Junior League of Washington, Chi Sigma Iota Counseling Honor Society, and an active volunteer with the Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital. In her youth, Madelyn swam competitively at the Riviera Club in Indianapolis, and her passion for the sport continued as a team representative of the Mount Vernon Park Association swim team. She is survived by her loving husband, Marvin C. Turner, her three cherished children, Alexandra Pert Turner, M.D., David Hancock Turner, Madeleine "Molly" Lanier Turner, and her two precious grandsons, Adrian Vir Turner, and Markus Béla Turner. A memorial service will be held on Monday, May 21 at 2 pm at First-Meridian Heights Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis. A reception will take place at the church after the service, and a private family burial service will be held in Washington Park East Cemetery where Madelyn will be laid to rest.