In August, I discussed the passing of my mother, Angela Turley, just shy of her 98th birthday. Through decades of social work and philanthropy, my mother left a lasting impact on the city that she loved so deeply. I am now able to share the resolution from the City Council honoring her memory and legacy in Chicago. On behalf of our entire family, I would like to thank the city for this kind gesture and particularly 46th Ward Alderwoman Angela Clay and her staff for drafting and finalizing the resolution.
A coal miner’s daughter from Yorkville, Ohio, my mother married my father, Jack Turley, after he returned from service in World War II.
Wanting to be an architect, they decided to go to Chicago so he could study under the most famous architect of the time: Mies van der Rohe, who developed the modern steel-and-glass structures that transformed cities.
The two arrived late on a snowy night in Chicago with $1.37 in their pockets. They stopped in a shop and ordered the only thing that they could afford: a cup of coffee. Before they left that night, my mother had a job as a waitress. She would work to support the family as my father completed his studies on the GI bill.
My father would become one of Mies’s closest associates and, after his death, a partner at Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, who helped design some of the most famous buildings in Chicago and around the world.
They would both create a variety of groups to help the poorest and most vulnerable in the city. They also helped support the arts community, including the founding of the St. Nicholas Theater.
My mother would serve as the president of Jane Addams Hull House and the founder of an array of organizations that fought for better housing, education, and safety for the poorest of the city. She helped create one of the first shelters for abused women and a group to maintain support for our public schools.
She ran for city council in the 46th Ward, and the Chicago Tribune described her as the “scrapper” from Uptown seeking to transform the poorest areas into decent places to live.
Some of the organizations that she helped establish are referenced in the city council resolution. They include one of the first and most successful community credit unions in the country.
Both the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune also wrote about her legacy.
This is the second resolution honoring her life. The City Council passed the first in 2002. (This resolution was passed earlier, but I just received the official signed copy).
We all still feel a tremendous void in our lives after losing our matriarch, particularly at Christmas (the holiday that she most cherished in life). However, it is a great solace to see that the city still remembers her lifetime of service and contributions.
Thanks again to Alderwoman Clay and the Chicago City Council for their kind efforts to honor my mother.
Here is the new resolution: Angela Turley Resolution.
😔Deepest sympathies!
A well deserved tribute to your mother. A perfect example of a member of the Greatest Generation.
Thank you for sharing the tribute and resolution, Professor Turley. For some people, a 1,000 years would not be enough time.
Awesome tribute, Turley. Great pic of your mom, too.
What a beautiful tribute to your mother’s life of service to the community. Growing up a coal miner’s daughter, and having begun her life with your father in the city with essentially spare change, would have provided her insights into the poor’s most pressing challenges.
She sounds like she was a treasure to your family, and the community.
Congratulations to the Turley family! A well-deserved honor. Your parents certainly had a wonderful impact on Chicago.
Lovely tribute to your Mother, a hard working waitress supporting the family. This brought back fond memories of my Mother waitressing to support our family as well, also a tribute to all waitresses who many times are the only breadwinner. Thank you for sharing.
I knew your father when I worked at SOM. A calm giving and talented person. I was fortunate to have learned from him.
Thank you for ALWAYS sharing…
Greatness runs in the family.
Well deserved!
you are blessed Jonathon. And we are ALL better because of it. Thanks for just telling the truth all these years. You made a difference
❤️
🙏🙏🏽🙏🏾🙏🏿
“Imitation is the sincerest of flattery.”
– Charles Caleb Colton, 1820
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Professor Turley, you imitate and flatter your mother wonderfully.
You bear a striking resemblance to your mother—you capture her likeness beautifully, just as seen in the photograph to the left of your column.
Congratulations to your mother, you, and your family.
A very fitting and deserved tribute
Well deserved recognition of a good hearted, dedicated person.
Life well spent.
Hopefully this helps to soften the loss for you and your family