Margaret "Marggi" Julia Turbitt

Margaret Julia Turbitt Sept. 5, 1935 – May 13, 2014 Margaret "Marggi" Julia (Petisce) Turbitt, 78, a singer, songwriter, loving mother and grandmother, returned home to The Lord May 13, 2014 after a courageous battle with multiple health problems. She passed away peacefully, surrounded by loving members of her family, at Bethesda Memorial Hospital in Boynton Beach, Florida, where she had been undergoing treatment. Those who loved Marggi will always remember her courageous will to live each day to the fullest, with joy in her heart and hope for the future. A Rhode Island native, she had lived in Lake Worth, Florida, for the past 12 years with her sister, Julia (Petisce) Hebert and brother-in-law, Dale King. She previously lived in Pawtucket, R.I., for most of her life where she raised her two sons, Walter and Anthony, in the home where her parents had lived on Mineral Spring Avenue at the Pawtucket-North Providence line. Born Sept. 5, 1935, she was a daughter of the late Anthony and Maria (Grieco) Petisce. She attended the former Rhode Island Junior College after graduating from high school. With her natural talent for music, she loved to sing and play the piano, and was frequently called upon to perform at various venues. For many years, she was a friend and musical collaborator with famed songwriter Jimmie Crane ("Hurt," "If I Give Me Heart to you," "Every Day of My Life"). She also wrote music and lyrics for her own tunes which she recorded and released under the professional name of Jean Loring. Marggi's unique outlook on life bore many creative projects, perhaps the most ambitious being jelly bean-style jewelry called Jolly Beans, inspired by then-President Ronald Reagan's fondness for the colorful candies. She created necklaces, bracelets, stickpins and earrings using the confection and received acknowledgement and praise from Nancy Reagan for her efforts. A volunteer producer for a local cable television station in Pawtucket, Marggi was a member of the Save the Leroy Committee, a community group during the 1980s that worked to halt the destruction of the historic Leroy Theater. Marggi collected many items for a celebrity auction as part of her work for that panel. She was also interested in the visual arts and enjoyed acting where her comfortable stage presence led to performances with the Pawtucket Community Players.