Davette Lois Turk

The Reverend Mother Davette Turk departed this earth for her heavenly home on July 19, 2023. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on August 27, 1935, to David Louis Ryan and Regina Veronica (Shoemaker) Ryan, the oldest of their four children. A passionate advocate and activist for diversity, equality, and inclusion, Davette was the first female priest ordained by the Episcopal Diocese of Florida; a fearless woman who was dubbed the “Mother Teresa” of Jacksonville.

The petite blonde priest was a courageous trailblazer who began her activism back in the early 1960s in Philadelphia as Sister Regina, a Catholic nun who promoted Ecumenism, peace, and the healing of racial disparity. She spoke out for interracial justice, working with men such as the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Dr. Martin Luther King, and others, always emphasizing that Philadelphia was known as “The City of Brotherly Love,” and that peace must prevail.

After twenty years as a Catholic nun who traveled the world serving in various leadership roles, Davette became the Director of the New Jersey Catholic Conference for Social Justice in 1973. In Trenton, she met Father Richard Turk, a Priest who was a chaplain at Rutgers University, had a prison ministry, a heart for the disenfranchised, and was planning to leave the Roman Priesthood. The Priest and the Nun fell in love and were married in 1975, leaving Catholicism for the Episcopal Church.

Richard was soon ordained an Episcopal Priest and came to Jacksonville in 1980 when Bishop Frank Cerveny asked him to join his staff as a minister in the state and federal prison system in North Florida. By then, the Turks had a daughter, Melissa, and a son, Ryan. The ordination of the first woman in the Diocese of Florida, was on December 15, 1985. For the next forty years, until her retirement, the Reverend Mother Davette Turk tirelessly modeled God’s love to our city, state and nation.

While Richard became Rector of St. Andrew’s in Arlington, Davette was co-founder of Reconcile Jacksonville, an organization promoting interracial community interaction and unity, ultimately bringing together many black and white churches. Davette worked with FreshMinistries, helped initiate Beaver Street Enterprise Center, was chaplain on the board of the Monique Burr Foundation for Children, and The Sanctuary on 8th Street. She supported the Stetson Kennedy Foundation, Operation New Hope, OneJax, and many other organizations. She served as Assistant Pastor at All Saints Episcopal Church and inspired more than 30 other women to become ordained Episcopal Priests in Florida. In 2020, Davette was recognized with the Bishop’s Cross Award by the Diocese of Florida. Rev. Davette Turk, a descendant of William Wallace of Scotland, was indeed a Brave Heart who impacted this community for good and forever.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings Coeli and Christopher, her husband Richard, her daughter Melissa and her grandson Liam. She is survived by her brother David, son Ryan (Angela), granddaughter Jillian, grandson Jude, granddaughter Mia, and myriad cousins, friends and admirers. Her incredible life will be celebrated at All Saint’s Episcopal Church on Hendricks Avenue on August 19, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of Flowers, please send a donation to any one of the organizations that were loved and supported by Davette.