Lucienne Turner

On October 9, 1929, just a few weeks before the infamous stock market crash, a star was born. She wasn't a star of stage, screen, or music, but one of family, friends, and community. On March 27th, she peacefully left this world surrounded by loved ones. Her name was Lucienne Nicoletti.Lucienne-known also as Lu, Cienne, mom, sister, aunt, grandmother, and great-grandmother-was born into a loving family in Kensington with an older brother Richard and a younger sister, Marie. While the siblings were all close, the sisters had a special bond as if they were twins. They were inseparable. In fact, they ended up raising their families in rowhomes next to one another on Hancock Street.Lucienne graduated from Helen Fleischer Vocational School as a seamstress by trade. She embarked on a career in high fashion and was soon working on set at fashion shows throughout the Philadelphia area.Soon after, a handsome, slightly older veteran named William Turner, recently back from the War caught Lucienne's eye. They quickly married soon after and started a family, having three daughters Lucienne, Pamela, Kimberly, and a son, Billy.Lucienne gave up her career to raise her family, but she remained quite busy in the community. She was a constant presence at the Home & School Association, spent a large portion of her life working the polls on Election Day, served as the Judge of Elections, and Block Captain of her street. That block was easily one of the cleanest blocks in all of Philadelphia.Music played an important role in Lucienne and Bill's lives. The sounds of big bands like Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, and Glen Miller constantly filled their home. They loved dancing be it at clubs or in their living room, especially after the kids went to bed. On random Saturdays, they even tormented their kids and grandchildren with the Lawrence Welk show on Saturday evenings.William and Lucienne's romance rivaled that of Bogie and Bacall, even with four kids. Date nights and alone time were always priorities. They regularly held hands while walking together whether it was at the beach or at the mall decades after first meeting one another. They were madly in love until William's passing in 1993. Lucienne never loved like that again.Lucienne spent the entirety of her life living within a few square miles in Kensington but, through books, she lived many lives and traveled the world. She was a voracious reader often simultaneously reading two to four books a week. She burned countless meals as she often became too engrossed in her books to pay attention to the dinner cooking.Lucienne made the best roast beef anyone ever tasted. If you knew, you knew. And, her roast beef sandwiches rivaled any in the city, even Nick's. Sweets held a special place in her heart. So special, that she refused to cut back on her cakes, brownies, and goodies no matter how high her cholesterol climbed. That's what statin drugs were for!If she visited your home, she had two unspoken expectations. First, your home had to be tidy. If it wasn't, she'd have no problems telling folks you ""didn't keep a good home."" Second, coffee was a must. She never met a cup of coffee she didn't like unless it was from Starbucks. If you didn't have coffee, someone needed to make a Dunkin Donuts run.Lucienne was a woman of culture and made it a priority to instill that in her grandkids when she could, often bringing them into Center City for museum visits. She was in her glory wearing her best outfits and going to brunch at Rittenhouse Park or the newest trendy restaurant with her grandkids and their partners.Aside from William, her greatest love may have been the casino. She rarely turned down a trip. However, if you went with her you had to give her space. She didn't want conversation. She needed to focus and she needed the ability to jump from slot to slot with ease looking for the right machine. When you accompanied her, it was best just to split up and agree to meet at a predetermined location at a predetermined time. Lucienne had an uncanny knack for making twenty dollars last a couple of hours at the casino.She had more friends than most. In fact, it was nearly impossible to reach her on her birthday. She refused to get call-waiting and so many friends called that most just got a busy signal all day.Animals adored her. She hated the f-word, often saying she somehow skipped over it in books. She loved snow globes, making breakfast on vacation, women with a sense of fashion, and men with good posture.Lucienne Turner was one loving, classy dame.In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made to Myasthenia Gravis Foundation. https://myasthenia.org/Relatives and friends are invited to gather on Friday April 1st from 9:30 AM to 11 AM at Slabinski Sucharski Funeral Home 2614 Orthodox Street (parking on premises). Her family will share words of remembrance at 11 AM and her burial will follow in Greenmount Cemetery. Please share your fondest memories of Lucienne at PhillyFunerals.com. Arrangements by McCafferty Sweeney Slabinski Barnes Funerals and Cremations, John Barnes Supervisor, 215.333.0500.