Terry Leigh Turcotte, a caring person, devoted and understanding wife, mother to behold, and friend to many passed away surrounded by her family on Wednesday, November 4.

Born October 19,1948 in Arizona, she was the loving daughter of the late Gilbert Rowe Hightower and Joan Ruth Tate Hightower. As a child, Terry lived in Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee and Mississippi as her father worked in succession for the U.S. Navy, IBM, and Motorola. She spent much of her childhood with her beloved grandmother, "Mama Ruth" Tate in Memphis. The family moved to Clinton, Mississippi in 1963 where Terry met John Turcotte, who fell in love with her in 1965. John and Terry married in 1970.

Terry attended Mississippi College and received a B.S. in education from the University of Southern Mississippi. She taught home economics and science at Leakesville, Flora, Edwards, Tri-County Academy, St. Joseph High, Hillcrest Christian and the Mississippi Adolescent Education Center. She became the Newspaper in Education Coordinator for The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson for several years before moving with John to Florida. In Tallahassee, Florida, she worked for the Clerk of the Florida House of Representatives. Terry lived in Clayton, North Carolina before she and John recently retired and moved back home to Madison, Mississippi.

Terry was a Dr. Pepper connoisseur, an avid reader of historical novels, and had many hobbies including collecting cookbooks, bird watching, sewing and arranging flowers. Her greatest joy, though, was taking care of her dogs - including the late Cody, Abby, Chelsea, and Chloe and her current granddogs Otis, Rogi, and Emmy. She was a Weather Channel and HGTV buff and was just as knowledgeable about current events as the Associated Press. Her other love was small neighborhood children who would run to her open arms smiling and laughing upon seeing "Mama Terry." She showered friends and relatives with special occasion cards and letters. Her gentle, sweet disposition, beauty and smile overwhelmed all who met her with goodness and cheer. She was a Christian and had a rich spiritual life that comforted her and her loved ones.

She is survived by her husband John, daughter and son-in-law U.S. Navy Captain Todd and Leigh-Anne Boland from Fort Worth, Texas, daughter Erin Sydney Turcotte from Raleigh, North Carolina, sister Mindy Sullivan from Providence Village, Texas, and brother Jack Hightower from Missoula, Montana.

A graveside service will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 7, 2020 with visitation beginning at 2 p.m. at Clinton Cemetery in Clinton, MS.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial contribution to the ASPCA in honor of Terry would be most appreciated.
https://secure.aspca.org/donate/memorial?ms=wb_con_honor-sidebar&initialms=wb_con_honor-sidebar&pcode=WEBMEMOR