Elizabeth Aylett Reese Wright Turrentine
Elizabeth Aylett Reese Wright Turrentine, born December 4, 1933, in Nashville, Tennessee, went home to be with her Father God & Savior Jesus Christ, surrounded by her family on October 18, 2024 after suffering a stroke in Denver, Colorado, where she resided since her final move back from her home in Nashville, Tennessee in 2019.
Elizabeth is preceded in death by her father, Harvey Carroll Reese; mother, Marion Aylett Borrum Reese; brother, Harvey Carroll Reese, Jr; and sister, Virginia Ann Reese Page.
She is survived by her children, Alice Morrow of Tulsa, OK; Sandra Kittrell Hurton of London, England; Roy Wright Jr., of Denver, CO; Carolyn Wright Smith of Littleton, CO; her grandchildren, Jessica Cox, Chaz Kittrell, Jayne Engelking, Roy Kittrell, James Pennington, and Henry Kittrell; and her great-grandchildren: Kira, Charlie, and Robin Kittrell; Rosie and Iris Engelking; Athena Kittrell; Anderson and Eleanor Gray; Michael and Daniel Cox; and Daniel and Jacob Morrow.
Education: Hillsboro High School & Vanderbilt University School of Nursing
Career: Elizabeth worked as a Registered Nurse, Nursing Instructor, Nurse Manager, and Hospital Director of Nursing in Tennessee, Missouri, Colorado, Saudi Arabia, Hawaii, Kansas and Texas. She then went on to achieve her final role at the esteemed Menninger Psychiatric Clinic at Baylor College of Medicine as Unit Nurse Manager. She intentionally chose to gradually move to direct patient care, her first love, as she neared her final retirement at age 72. “God is Love” "Perfect Love Drives out all fear.” (Root of anxiety, depression etc) 1 John 4:18. These principles she promoted, facilitated and participated in via Al-anon, A. A. Celebrate Recovery and Weigh Down (food addiction).
She especially loved working in Hawaii at Queen’s Medical Center where the art of Healing Touch is used as a mandatory part of all wellness treatments in Hawaiian hospitals. She became a Healing Touch practitioner and instructor, achieving the highest standard and used it on many friends and relatives as she toured the country as ‘Florence Nightingale’ helping all sufferers with her truly healing touch and deeply anointed caring presence, she often moved into extended family resident to give final round the clock care to loved ones, providing a break to the family caregiver. “Love is patient Love is kind; Bears all things, Believes all thing, Hopes all things, Endures all things. Love never fails. 1 Cor. 13:4,7,8"
Mom was a great educator, teaching at Washington University School of Nursing in St. Louis, Missouri as a nursing instructor with a special love for labor and delivery.
Bravely, when mom and dad moved to Denver — arguably her first foreign adventure in the 1960’s— she went to work in the middle of a Hispanic neighborhood. As Nurse Manager at The West Side Neighborhood Health Center, Elizabeth entertained Lady Byrd Johnson, President Johnson’s wife, who came specifically to Denver to see the exceptional cutting edge example of a local bilingual, top tier clinic; modeling how to lift a deprived people to literally become healthy, not just physically, but as a community.
Another Brave move made by Elizabeth involved employment with Aramco Oil Company in their Saudi Arabia medical clinic back before the day of cell phones and overseas long-distance calls, leaving her quite out-of-touch for long periods of time during her adventures!
The best career move Elizabeth made, however, was deciding at the ripe old age of 22! to achieve her life’s goal of having four children very close together in age. Clearly she had no clue what that meant, especially as a last baby of a family who had maids waiting upon her every need, but Elizabeth absolutely thrived at being a Mom during that early season.
Her best days as mom, occurring in her latter days when she modeled how to end well with Jesus and “God as my Source,” as the sign she had to prove it. She lived life, full of love and laughter in true Reese spirit and heritage of her 4th and 5th great grandfather, one of America’s Founding Fathers, Patrick Henry who reminded her to: Enjoy “…Liberty or Give Me Death.”
Music: Mom was an accomplished pianist. Her favorite pieces included, Rhapsody in Blue, Henry Mancini compositions and the Beatles. She sang alto in the Peabody College Choir at Vanderbilt University as well as many church choirs. One of her favorite works to sing was Handel’s Messiah. She loved to sing in the kitchen, car, and while playing the piano; songs of Andy Wms like, Moon River, John Denver songs, especially Rocky Mountain High.
Hobbies: Adventurer and Traveler Extraordinaire - Ziplining and riding largest rollercoasters in FL and CO to celebrate her 80th Birthday; trekking through Nepal solo with only a local guide; climbing the Matterhorn as high as one can go without technical equipment, summiting Colorado 14’ers…On the sea, living on 30 foot trimaran sailboat accidentally running into a typhoon when heading from Hawaii to New Zealand and then Fiji and Samoa. Numerous other trips overseas were enjoyed by Elizabeth to Bahrain, Egypt, Europe, Fiji, Hong Kong, Israel, Lebanon, Malaysia, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Thailand. London was her home for six months of many years. Solo RV living on the road was her retirement project at 72 years old. Traveling to both east and west coasts, living in her RV at the most extraordinary National and State Parks, and traversing all the famous scenic roads along the way. At 82 years of age, she traded in her RV for a red convertible, 6-speed manual transmission sports car, which she drove until almost 88 years old!
Bible Study - A favorite saying was “Put it in God’s Hands” as she loved to pray. Every morning the very first thing, she did that, in rain, snow or shine outside on deck or porch when possible, with a Giant mug of coffee nearby, having her quiet time with God. She believes “that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purposes.” Romans 8:28
Sewing, Macrame and Knitting - Elizabeth knitted the highest quality and most intricate self designed sweaters for her kids and special family, and sewed elegant evening and Easter dresses, and even Barbie clothes!
Sports - Skiing, skating, horseback riding, hiking and trekking, visiting special relatives and engrossing herself in beautiful scenery.
Symphony, Concert & Theater Enthusiast across the globe - Always giving an appropriate “Bravo”
Writing - She sought to write a book about her life’s adventures - coming up with a fantastic title: “How to Climb Mountains When You’re Over the Hill.” She sought a serious education as a writer, attending writing classes, seminars & conferences throughout the country.
Finally - We are thankful she is on her final adventure for eternity in Heaven. As her namesake granddaughter Jayne Elizabeth said, “It was very much in God’s time.”
Memorial Arrangements:
Elizabeth’s ashes will spread by her children. Remembrance donations may be made in honor of Elizabeth and her 4th and 5th Great-grandfather, Patrick Henry; Red Hill, Patrick Henry National Memorial, 1250 Red Hill Rd, Brookneal, VA 24528