Eva Marie Turcina

Eva Marie Durst was born October 7, 1922 in Fairgrove, Michigan to Matthew & Mary (Willman) Durst. She grew up on an 80 acre farm whose main crop was great northern white beans. She attended North Hinson Road School, a one room school house, where she received a silver bracelet for perfect attendance. She graduated from Fairgrove High School and Wayne State University in 1943 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Home Economics.

Eva moved to Seattle in 1943 to study at Harborview Hospital to become a Dietician. On a blind date she met Martin Turcina, a sailor stationed on the USS Brazos. They were married 3 weeks later in a YMCA Chapel. After the war they moved to San Francisco where they lived for 55 years. Their first daughter, Nancy Ann, was born in 1947 and their 2nd daughter Peggy Marilyn was born in 1949.

Eva was an accomplished Quilter, making 30 hand-sewn quilts. She was an avid reader, mostly who-done-its, and loved working 5,000 piece jigsaw puzzles. They moved to Port Orchard, Washington in 2002 and Marty died in 2003.

In 2012 she had a 90th Birthday Party in Lakebay at her daughter’s home. It was attended by her Port Orchard Quilter’s group, her swim buddies who swam at South Kitsap High School. Her granddaughters Amanda Miller from Flower Mound, Texas, Brandy Becker from Knoxville, Tennessee, and Meredith Hamann from Denver, Colorado also attended.

In 2013 there was a reunion Christmas in Texas. It was attended by John & Peggy Hamann, Whitney & Meredith Hamann, Brandy Becker & Amanda Miller, her great-granddaughters Kendall & Abby Miller, and Jerry Becker, her former son-in-law and his wife Suzy from Angle Fire, New Mexico.

Eva enjoyed taking walks along Bay Lake with 4 Jack Russells, swimming at the YMNC pool in Gig Harbor, and eating at McDonalds. She peacefully passed away at home in Lakebay, on Sunday August 17, 2014.