Margaret Turner

Margaret Robena (Burrill) Turner (Bena) was a loving mother, grandmother, friend, a talented hunter, fisher-woman, and gardener. She had a love of all things in nature and outdoors. She died a natural death, peacefully, on June 8, 2023, at her daughter’s and son’s-in law home, after a brief battle with Merkel Cell Skin Cancer. A reminder to all to wear sun-screen.
Bena, as her closest friends called her, was born April 16, 1937, to Margaret Robena (Doucette) Burrill (Bena) and George Burrill (Spike) and lived on Gould’s Landing in Orono. She grew up hunting and fishing with her dad, and passed that passion on to her family. Bena graduated from Orono High School and then from Husson College. She married her high school sweetheart, Carlton Sproul and had two children with him: Sandra and Jeffrey. They moved to Hermon, where they were active in volunteer fire and Rescue squad. Carlton died from a long struggle with brain cancer, when he and Bena were 33. Being a strong and independent woman, Bena raised her children in Hermon, while working in the Hermon School Department. During this time, she began a long and loving relationship, including marriage, to Richard Turner (Dick). They shared the passion for camping, hunting and fishing, and eventually moved to their favorite hunting grounds in Garland, to live for years. There were countless camping adventures at Donnell Pond and Little Pushaw Lake, fishing excursions at Soper Brook, including rescuing a moose calf from a muddy bank, and hunting every year on the 100 acre Garland homestead. Bena and Dick had moved back to the property adjacent to where Bena grew up, due to Dick’s health concerns. Dick continued his hunting and fishing passion perpetually, when he died in 2015. Each year, Bena kept in contact with old and dear friends, among them, Alan Lewis. Alan was also recently widowed and he and Bena renewed their friendship. Alan, who had worked as an engineer alongside Carlton, and his family had been friends with both all those years ago. Alan and his wife had helped Bena with childcare, emotional support, friendship, when Carlton had to travel to and from Boston for surgery or treatment. Bena, along with Muffin, her little dog, moved to East Boothbay and she and Alan began a wonderful fairy tale-like story. They would frequent to local breakfast nooks, ice cream parlors and hot dog stands. They would travel to grandchildren’s and great-grandchildren’s sports or stage events. They would travel to Beddington to stay at Alan’s cabin in the woods. Bena would stuff bait bags as Alan pulled lobster traps from Mill Pond. They truly love(d) each other right to the day that Bena left this life and will now live forever in the stories told around the fireside and the gatherings of her family and friends. Bena was pre-deceased by Carlton, and Dick, her parents Bena and Spike, her brother, Sidney. Bena is survived by Sandra and her husband Tom, their children Meghan and Tyler and their spouses and children, Jeffrey and his wife Fern, and children. She will be missed by her sister Jane Millett. She will be missed and forever loved by Alan and his family, as well as all of her friends.
Graveside services will be held June 16, 2023, at 3:00pm, at Maple Grove Cemetery, Pushaw Road, Bangor, Maine.