Joan Wilson Turner, of Modesto, CA, was born on June 27, 1937, in Brooklyn, NY, to Charlotte Taylor and Dr. St. Elmo Taylor. A graduate of the Northampton School for Girls, Smith College and Boston University, Joan was trained as a teacher of the deaf and blind and later went on to work in the public school system in Washington, DC. Embarking upon a second career as an entrepreneur in the 1970s, Joan owned clothing stores in Brooklyn, NY and Fort Lauderdale and Miami, FL. She also sold many health and wellness products in her later years and most recently was a representative for ViSalus. Joan passed away on August 31, 2019.  Her memory will be cherished by her husband Lewis Turner, daughter Jan Abernathy, son-in-law Jerome Abernathy, stepchildren Louis Turner and Lorraine Little, grandchildren Alyce and Sam Abernathy, niece Lee Nelms, nephew Michael Taylor, and many friends throughout the world. She was preceded in death by her parents and brother Eugene Taylor. She was a faithful member of the Wellspring Anglican Church in Modesto. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Community Hospice Foundation in Modesto.