Karen Van Voorst Turner

Karen Van Voorst Turner, 86, passed away peacefully on May 9, 2022. Celebrating a life beautifully lived are her daughter, Becky Turner Chapman and her husband, Randy Chapman; her daughter Jenny Turner Tuttle; her son, P.B. Turner III; her grandchildren Kelly Schwaller, Amy Fuller, Eric Chapman, and Anniston Rutherford Tuttle; her nieces Kristin Van Voorst and Marianne Turner Wells; her great niece Lauren Van Voorst Robinson; her cousins, Jan Koepke, Dudley Rutherford, and Hugh Van Voorst; and her dear friend Milton Carlock, who arrived to help her with a few things and quickly became another of her beloved kids. When her seven great grandbabies swept into her life in recent years, she delighted in their visits and covered her tables in their photos and artwork. Preceding her in death were her two nephews, George Van Voorst IV and John Lyle Wells III, and her close companion, James M. Kemper, Jr.

Born in Kansas City on May 12, 1935, to George Van Voorst, Jr., and Bernice Rutherford Van Voorst, she grew up under the watchful and mischievous eye of her beloved big brother, George Van Voorst III. He called her Sis, and in their later years they’d be found sharing a laugh, (and, yes, a pack of cigs) while they sat side-by-side on her front stoop. As children, they explored Mexico with their parents and rode horses to ghost towns in Colorado.

A life-long learner and avid reader, Karen attended Bryant Elementary, The Barstow School, Scripps College, the Sorbonne, and Avila University ⏤ many of those with her lifelong best friend Jan Phillips at her side. Karen married Prewitt B. Turner, Jr., in 1957, and embarked on a life of kids, dogs, cats, carpools, trips to the farm, and becoming a second mom and lifelong friend to legions of our cousins and friends. She was passionate about our educations, supportive of our dreams, and always there for our falls. She’d arrive on our doorsteps in Palo Alto, Fort Worth, or Princeton at a moment’s notice, enchanting our new friends in an instant. After 35 years of marriage, she and Prewitt divorced but remained dear friends for the rest of his life.

Known variously as KVV, KVVT, Mama Jon, and Mana, Karen created beautiful homes in Kansas City and in Scottsdale, and warmly welcomed all who arrived. She adored her pets, who often came in twos, and as a lifelong student of American history, she cared deeply for her country. She was for many years a member of the Junior League, a member and past president of the BOTAR organization, and a docent for the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. She also recorded books for the blind, taught art to children in juvenile detention, and worked at Treasures of Santa Fe, where she honed and shared her knowledge of and love for Native American jewelry and art.

There were many facets to her life, but Karen was exactly the same in each of them: She never met a stranger, never forgot a name, never approached anyone without a deep and quiet sense of compassion and friendship. She was elegant and brave, talented and funny, stylish and warm. She will be deeply missed but likely never far away.

A celebration of life will be held at St. Andrew’s Church, 6401 Wornall Terrace, Kansas City, MO, on Wednesday, May 18 at 4:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, we are certain that she would want each of us to smile at a stranger or reach out to a friend.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.mcgilleyhoge.com for the Turner family.