We Honor the Memory of
Dorothy Jean “Dody” Turk

Obituary

Dorothy Jean Steber Cheek Turk passed away peacefully (age 98) on June 16, 2022 in Oklahoma City. Three generations of family and loving caregivers were close by her side.

She was born in Houston TX to Rupert Alexis and Virginia Regina Weikel Steber on July 14, 1923. Dody is survived by her two sons, David and Dale, David’s wife Adra who, in Dody’s words “is my greatest blessing, more like a daughter than in-law”, two grand daughters, Tracey and her husband Jeff Love, and Dawn and her husband Jason Smith, and five great grandchildren, Jacob, Michaela (“Layla”), Travis, Case and Andrew (“AJ”), two nephews, Allen and Clay Ridley and their families. Pre-deceased are her parents, her only sister Betty Ann Ridley, a niece Drue Ridley, two previous husbands, William Clinton Cheek and Lon B. Turk, and an unnamed stillborn brother.

Known to all as Dody, she graduated from Classen High School in OKC in 1940, and from University of Oklahoma in 1943 with a degree in French. In 1941 Dody joined the Delta Delta Delta Sorority and was president of the OU chapter during her senior year. In 2016 she joined the TriDelta Golden Circle (75 years membership). She has enjoyed more than 80 years of Sisterhood.

Soon after graduation from OU Dody married Bill Cheek and together they raised two successful and excellent sons. Divorced from Bill in 1978, she married Lon B. Turk, a successful OK geologist in 1985. Together they enjoyed many years of love and life and world travel until Lon’s passing in 1998. Dody was a long time member of All Souls’ Episcopal Church in Nichols Hills. Her church community was very meaningful to her and faith sustained her through life’s vicissitudes and difficulties.

Dody was a very social person and was fortunate to be able to participate in civic and charitable organizations including the Junior League of OKC, OKC Museum of Art, the OKC Philharmonic Orchestra League, the Alliance Française, English Speaking Union of OKC, Geologists Wives of OKC and the Wednesday Review Club.

As a lifelong Francophile, Dody enjoyed a highly successful career as a teacher for 28 years of French language, literature, history, culture and cuisine at Casady School in Britton OK. Her many admiring, adoring and successful students are a testament to her dedication to education and inspiration of children of all ages.

Dody was an inveterate traveler, enjoying innumerable trips to her beloved France and other destinations, which found her on the International Dateline on the turn of the Millennium and in Beijing on 9/11/01. A favored hobby was Chinese watercolor “brush work” at which she excelled. Briefly she studied Speed Reading, which she subsequently taught aboard several cruise ships.

As a teacher of French culture, Dody guided many Casady students on summer trips to France advancing their knowledge and appreciation of art, language, epicure and the joy of traveling. From the Casady kitchen, Dody instructed interested high school students in the joys of cooking and the specialties of French cuisine. This has a legacy of several successful restaurateurs and many home chefs holding wonderful memories of and respect for their “Madame Cheek”. Her recipe for authentic French baguette still reverberates around the world and locally. This recipe can be downloaded at <https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/0fcwtnAJRqAeHulW50L94fzJA#Bread_Recipe,_Dody_Cheek>

Dody was dedicated to family, faith and the striving to attain one’s highest potential. This is reflected in the large number of her former students who still love and respect and admire her.

In a petite frame, was held a strong, loving, never-give-up person, exhibiting the highest ideals of faith, family and fortitude. The life-long search for knowledge and worldly experience, which exemplifies Dody, is a high and worthy goal for all of us who knew her, and indeed for all people.

Again in her own words, “God has been good to me and I am eternally grateful.”

The family’s heartfelt gratitude goes out to her devoted, long-time caregivers, Shelly Gutierrez and Polly Juers as well as Pamela Harrison, Gloria Nelson, Heaven Yarbrough, Jo Baggett and Peggy Williams.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Casady School, Westminster School, or All Souls Episcopal Church.