Shirley Turk

Poughkeepsie – Shirley Turk, 66, a lifetime resident of Dutchess County, passed away on November 1, 2022 at Ellis Hospital surrounded by her loving family.

Born in Poughkeepsie on December 1, 1955, she was the daughter of Francis and Doris (Smith) Turk.

 She attended Rhinebeck schools and finished her formal education at Dutchess BOCES earning a degree in cosmetology. Of note, her children never received the benefit of this training.

Her passions were in no way limited to horseback riding and sneaking her horse trailer onto the Taconic Parkway at night. She was also an avid crafter and the Dutchess County Fair held a special place in her heart for over 35 years.

She worked for Hyde Park schools driving the school bus that was always decorated for the holidays. She enjoyed her kids on her bus run and would always be their advocate.  

In many ways, she was the original superhero, her love knew no bounds and she was beyond masterful with duct tape. Locally renowned for her 80's revival efforts, her love of leopard print, headbands, and fanny packs was photographically well documented. Her obsession with crafting border on hording and we encourage attendees to leave with a piece of her work and help reduce the burden on her surviving family.

She enjoyed singing at karaoke. She would put her oldest son Jason in charge of winning the fruit baskets at the local singing competitions. She enjoyed spending time with her four-legged granddaughter Keera grace. 

Shirley is survived by her children Jason/Denise, Bridget also known as her favorite, Nicholas, Connie/Sam, Mark, her adopted kids Adam/Nichole. She has numerous kids that refer to her as mom. 

In addition to her children, Shirley is survived by her loving sisters Sherry Mesuda/Wayne, and Regina Beauregard/Charlie; her brother Butch Turk; her grandchildren that she loved so much, Elizabeth, Tyler, Brendan, Felicity, Aaliyah, Quinten, Mason Lee, Kevin and Ava; one great grandchild; her first husband Robert " Bobby " Wyant who used to spend endless hours repairing the cars she used to drive as well as her companion of 22 years, Neil Finnegan. 

She is now reunited with gram/Pop and Harold " chick " Dedrick. 

Memorial Hours will be held at the Dapson-Chestney Funeral Home, 51 W. Market St., Rhinebeck, NY on Sunday November 6 from 2 PM to 5 PM. A time of sharing will begin at 5 PM.

In honor of Shirley please feel free to wear headbands and fanny packs. Mom would get a good laugh. 

Burial will be private and at the convenience of the family.

Memorial donations in honor of Shirley can be made to the ASPCA, http://www.aspca.org

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Shirley Turk, please visit our floral store.