Elizabeth Peters (Teague) Turner

Elizabeth Peters (Teague) Turner packed up her earthly tent for glory at the Deerfield Retirement Center in Asheville, North Carolina, on October 23, 2026.  She was born on November 23, 1936, in Tiverton, Rhode Island to The Reverend Canon Sidney Peters and Eleanor Lee Woodcock Peters.  She grew up in rectories of the Episcopal Church, living in Garden City, NY (Cathedral of the Incarnation) and Bayshore Long Island, NY (St. Peters By the Sea).

She is preceded in death by her parents, her Aunt Betsy Woodcock, brother William Lee Woodcock Peters, ex-husband The Reverend Addison Dawson Teague (married in 1959) and by husband Lt. Col. George William Turner (married in 1988), her dear cousin and husband Lynne and David Youston, niece Deirdre Elizabeth Peters, and by several beloved dogs, including Moonshine (possibly the best dog ever) and Taffy (possibly the worst).

She is survived by her son Douglas Woodcock Teague and his wife Kirk Elizabeth Teague of Atlanta, GA; her daughter Elizabeth Eleanor Addison Lee Teague and her husband Stephen Patrick Thompson of Asheville, NC; her grandson Charles Matthieu Thompson, his wife Anna Geddes Thompson, and great grandson Charles Raylan Thompson of Waynesville, NC; her grandson Turner William Teague Thompson, his wife Morgan Sydney Raine Thompson, and great grandson Finley Dawson Teague Thompson of Asheville, NC; and her granddaughter Katherine Elizabeth Everette and her husband Samuel Everette of Atlanta, GA.  She is also survived by her sister-in-law Sarah Mullins Peters, and niece Cynthia Lee Peters Maddox, cousin Margaret Douglas and her husband Timothy Douglas, Catherine Douglas, and Andrew Douglas, and his wife Mimi, and by those that she adopted as family, including Sarah Norton, Leslie O’Shea, and The Rev. Mandy Brady.

She graduated high school from Chatham Hall, in Chatham, VA, where she excelled in English literature and music.  She received her BA in American Studies from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, and received her MA in English and a love for the Georgia Bulldogs from the University of Georgia.  She maintained season tickets to Georgia Football and the Women’s Gymnastics teams for many years and was a regular supporter of campus arts and theater events.

Along her way, she met Eleanor Roosevelt, Roselyn Carter, James Dickey, Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan, Michael Jackson, the ghost of Mrs. Rucker (who may still live on Dearing Street), and danced with King Juan Carlos of Spain. Most importantly to her, however, were her family and friends whom she loved fiercely with generosity and humor. A dedicated teacher of English and corrector of grammar, she loved books and the well-crafted turn of phrase, limerick, or poem.  She was a member of the Athens, GA, Junior Assembly, the Athens Study Club and her beloved book club.  She was quick to share interesting facts and books, to recite random lines of poetry or off-color jokes, and to tell stories. She was devoted to her clubs and her friends and enjoyed gathering people together.  She excelled at the art of being a hostess for people of any age, physical ability, and background.

She volunteered at Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, the Rabun Gap Nacoochee Guild, and Hope Haven School, where she taught swimming and music.  She was a substitute elementary teacher and French teacher at Athens Academy, until she moved with her family to Westchester County New York.  There, she taught middle and high school English at The Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, NY and led the middle school choir at Zion Church. Her devotion to her students at the Masters School cannot be overstated.  She loved to teach and support young women to be independent and critical thinkers, and, in turn, the students dedicated their yearbook to her multiple times.  She also took full advantage of living near New York City, and attended many plays, operas, ballets, and exhibits, taking her children and students with her.

After a career at The Masters School, she returned to Athens, Georgia where she served on the Vestry and Altar Guild of Emmanuel Episcopal Church, and earned her Certificate in Education for Ministry (EFM) from The University of the South, Sewanee, TN.  She also built a home in Guffey, CO with her husband George Turner, and lived there many summers.  When in Guffey, she made desserts at Delphinium’s Restaurant and attended St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Cripple Creek, CO where she also served on the Vestry.  In later years, she spent summers in Highlands, NC where she attended the Church of the Incarnation and enjoyed a community of friends and mornings at the dog-park.

She moved to Asheville in 2022, and faithfully attended St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Chunn’s Cove.  During this time, she endured Covid, health issues, and Hurricane Helene with grace and fortitude. She enjoyed being close to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.  She showed gratitude, humor, and love for the staff and other residents of Deerfield as well as the friends she found in Asheville.  Towards the end of her life she, she had difficulty speaking, but could always manage to say, “I love you,” and “friends forever,” and she meant it.

A Graveside Service will be held at Oconee Cemetery in Athens, GA, on November 21, 2026 at 11:00 AM with a reception to follow at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Athens at noon. Memorials in honor of Betsy’s dedication to education and wayward dogs, should be directed to Hope Haven of Northeast GA or your local Humane Society.

Groce Funeral Home’s Lake Julian team is assisting the family.