The Big Bay Stewardship Council (BBSC) Steering Committee would like to take a moment to honor Darlene Turner, a founding member of the BBSC, whose vision and dedication helped shape the organization we are today. Darlene understood the important role tourism plays in our community, but she also believed that Big Bay’s future should be shaped by the people who call it home. She advocated for measuring and understanding tourism’s impact and believed in attracting travelers, not tourists—people who appreciate the character, history, and authenticity of Big Bay. Above all, she believed that building a community where people want to visit begins with creating a place where people want to live. She understood that attracting young families and supporting year-round residents would be essential to building a more stable and sustainable future.
Darlene was a person of action who let her work speak louder than her words. Her vision continues to guide the BBSC as we use community input and data to pursue projects, festivals, and programs that celebrate our past, support our present, and protect what makes Big Bay special for future generations. Much of what we’ve accomplished would not have been possible without her vision and steadfast support. We miss you, Darlene, and thank you for everything you gave to Big Bay.
I’d like to share a tribute written by Darlene’s niece, Katie Narhi, who was also an early member of the BBSC. Her words offer a special reflection on Darlene’s life and legacy in the community she loved.
-Sven Gonstead
Video created by Michael James Springer
Woven Into the Fabric of Big Bay
Remembering Darlene Turner
By Katie Wilcox Narhi
If you've spent much time in Big Bay over the years, chances are you've crossed paths with Darlene Turner. Maybe it was at a community celebration, a church dinner, a local business, or one of the many gatherings that have brought neighbors, friends, and families together through the years.
There are certain people who become such a familiar part of a small town that it's hard to imagine the place without them. People whose lives are woven into its history, its traditions, and the memories shared across generations.
Aunt Darlene was one of those people. More than fifty years ago, she made Big Bay her home, and over the decades, her story became stitched into the lives of so many others. Some places have changed, traditions have come and gone, familiar faces have been lost, and new families have made Big Bay home. Yet so much of what makes Big Bay special lives on in the memories and stories we share.
Over the years, Aunt Darlene had a hand in so many of Big Bay's gatherings and traditions. The pig roasts at the 550 Snowmobile Club, busy winter fishing derbies, and Fourth of July celebrations with games, parade floats, duck races, and sawdust piles. Perhaps you remember seeing her at Powell Township School while raising her own family or crossed paths with her during her years at the Thunder Bay Inn. Maybe she carefully wrapped a gift for you at North Shore Treasures or handed you the keys to a room at the Picture Bay Motel. You might have danced alongside her at Big Bay's Centennial celebration or still have one of the wooden bowling pins she helped distribute around town.
But it wasn't just the big celebrations or familiar businesses. Aunt Darlene was part of so many of the little moments, too. A hot dog handed across the counter at Draver Park during a softball game. Darlene in her apron at our Community Presbyterian Church, helping prepare a harvest dinner, an ice cream social, or a meal for a grieving family. Perhaps you watched your children search for Easter eggs she'd helped hide, joined her at the Christmas tree lighting, or stood alongside her at a Memorial Day service. Maybe she stopped by for a visit, brought something delicious to share, or invited you to a Wilcox family gathering. Or perhaps your only encounter was a familiar wave or smile as you passed each other on the road.
Darlene also helped shape places that continue to bring people together. Through her township leadership and involvement with Powell Township Parks and Recreation, she worked alongside others to care for and improve the community she loved. She helped with efforts to improve access to the beautiful views at Thomas Rock, played an important role in the Burns Landing project, and was involved in the reconstruction of Draver Park. Places that residents and visitors continue to enjoy today.
Aunt Darlene wore many hats over the years. A local business owner, Township Supervisor, volunteer, keeper of local history, and, of course, a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend to many. She had ideas, determination, and a genuine love for this little town.
As her niece, I was fortunate to share in that love for Big Bay. She encouraged me to become involved in the efforts to establish the Big Bay Stewardship Council, and through working alongside her and others, I came to appreciate just how much this community depends on people willing to give their time, energy, and heart.
Looking back, what stands out to me isn't any one event or accomplishment, but how all those little things added up over a lifetime. The friendships made, the traditions passed on, and the neighbors who show up for one another. Aunt Darlene was there for so many of those experiences, alongside countless others who have helped shape the Big Bay we know and love.
We'll miss her smiling face, her enthusiasm, and the many ways she brought people together. Her story will forever be woven into the fabric of Big Bay.
So the next time you find yourself at a community dinner, a Fourth of July celebration, or one of the many gatherings that make Big Bay special, take a moment to appreciate the people who make it happen. Say hello. Lend a hand. Make a memory.
You never know when a little moment might become someone's favorite memory of Big Bay, or how, without even realizing it, you're weaving yourself into their story.
Aunt Darlene gave us so many of those moments. And in remembering them, we'll always remember her.