Mary Kay Harbeck

Mary Kay Harbeck of Dewey, Arizona left this world peacefully on September 1, 2025, with her husband Steve at her side. She was born December 11, 1948, in Fort Dodge, Iowa to Harold and Esther Turpin.

Mary was raised on a small acreage in Manson, Iowa where her parents taught school and raised much of the food the family ate. She excelled in school and music and qualified for the All-Iowa High School Band.

Following graduation from Manson High School, Mary enrolled at the University of Northern Iowa and graduated in 1971 with a major in elementary education and a minor in art. She met Steve at UNI and they married in June 1971, they started their life together in Boyd, Wisconsin. Mary became the Dental Health Educator for Chippewa County and traveled to all the elementary schools to present programs about dental health and hygiene. However, she longed to follow in the footsteps of her mother and have a classroom of her own. She realized that when the couple moved to Steamboat Rock, Iowa where she taught sixth grade for nine years. Then came the move to Dewey in 1986. With no teaching positions available, Mary dabbled in real estate while she and Steve built a house in Prescott Country Club. In August 1987, a late resignation at Humboldt Elementary School allowed Mary to return to teaching fifth grade. She team taught language arts and science while her team partner taught math and social studies. Mary continued her education at the University of Phoenix earning her Reading Specialist certificate and continued as the Title I reading teacher at Humboldt Elementary until her retirement in 2002. Her love for teaching then led her to become a volunteer docent at the Heritage Park Zoo and to frequently take zoo animals to local schools so the students could see them and learn about them. Mary touched the lives of many children during her career.

During the next phase of her life, she exhibited her sense of adventure and artistic ability. Steve often says Mary took him all over the world. Mary would research and plan the trips and off they would go.

Travel destinations included Alaska by car and RV, Canada, Mexico, the Galapagos Islands, Machu Picchu, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, China, Palau, New Zealand, Antarctica, Greenland, the Northwest Passage, Hungary, Denmark, Austria, Kenya, and every state in the U.S. Her favorite adventures were white water raft trips through the Grand Canyon and an Edventure trip through Yavapai College that included taking books and school supplies to schools in the Masai Mara region along with a safari. She also enjoyed snorkeling, bicycling, and hiking,

Mary's artistic talents came to the fore during retirement and included painting and drawing and making and selling greeting cards when stamping was popular. But she really excelled at photography.

She just saw things differently than the rest of us. Her photos appeared on many covers of the PCC News magazine and won awards at the Yavapai County Fair. She was proud that none of her photos were digitally manipulated.

She leaves behind the love of her life Steve, her husband of 54 years and her sister Ruth Turpin of Tucson, Arizona. She was preceded in death by her parents and by her brothers David Turpin (Judy), and Richard Turpin (Sylvia, Carolyn). She also leaves behind nieces Barbara, Becky (Steve), Shelly (Eric) and Melinda and nephews Paul (Krissa), Mathew (Michele), Tim (May Lynn), Mark (Harry), Dan (Leilani), John (Emily) and John (Brook).

A celebration of life will be held at the Prescott Golf Club September 21, 2025, 4:00-6:00pm. Mary would be honored if contributions were made to the Alzheimer's Association, Northern Arizona Region.