Teacher had a gift for Spanish

Two days after Margaret Turner’s death, former students and colleagues remembered the Newport Harbor High School Spanish teacher as a compassionate mentor, an avid supporter of her school community and a resilient fighter who braved illness to do the job she loved.

Turner, 61, who taught Spanish at Newport Harbor since 1992, died early Thursday morning after a long battle with cancer.

In a statement to parents, Principal Michael Vossen praised Turner for her dedication to students and said she would be sorely missed.

“Margaret was an extraordinarily gifted teacher,� he wrote.

“She taught Spanish and was able to instill a love of learning in all her students through an inspiring style of teaching. She possessed unparalleled energy and was able to consistently motivate her students to high levels of success.�

Vossen could not be reached for comment Saturday, but others remembered Turner as an inspiring teacher who maintained a lively classroom and often used humor to liven grammar lessons.

Elizabeth Evans, a 2001 Newport Harbor graduate who now works as the marketing and communications manager for the Costa Mesa nonprofit Share Our Selves, said Turner often had her students sing in Spanish to help them learn vocabulary words.

“It definitely stuck with me,� said Evans, who went on to minor in Spanish at USC. “I use it in my job now.�

Estancia High School Principal Phil D’Agostino, who taught at Newport Harbor for seven years and founded the school’s Student Political Action Committee, said Turner had a keen interest in the workings of the school.

“She was involved in some of the discussions with smaller learning communities and things like that,� D’Agostino said.

“She was always interested in what was going on in the school. She wasn’t the kind of teacher who would just ensconce herself in her classroom.�

History teacher Joe Robinson, who formerly taught Spanish at Newport Harbor, remembered Turner for her upbeat presence on campus, but also for her mettle.

Toward the end of her life, he said, Turner maintained her positive attitude and ready smile even while she struggled through chemotherapy.

“She’s really a special woman,� Robinson said. “I was really impressed by her courage. She’s been battling that cancer for a few years, and she always had that smile and that positive attitude.�

He noted that his son, Gary, now a fellow history teacher at Newport Harbor, counted Turner among his favorite teachers when he was a student.

“He walked out of her class with a real love for the Spanish language,� Robinson said.

Turner is survived by her husband and two children.

MICHAEL MILLER may be reached at (714) 966-4617 or at [email protected].