Former ENR Researcher Turnay, 82, Dies

Gabriella L. Turnay, a New York City-based editorial researcher who worked for McGraw-Hill's education division and Engineering News-Record during her 48-year career, died on July 20 following a long illness. She was 82.

Turnay joined ENR in 1967 as an editorial research associate; she compiled the ENR Index, a semi-annual listing of topics covered in the magazine, until it was replaced in 1984 with computer databases. Turnay also proofread the magazine, managed payments to freelance writers and supervised reprint permissions. Prior to joining ENR, Turnay worked for 16 years as an editor in McGraw Hill's education division, where she was involved in textbook sales to school systems in India. She retired in 1998.

Born in Poland, Turnay, her parents and her sister left Warsaw following the German bombings in September 1939. She and her family lived in Budapest, Paris and Lisbon before settling in the U.S. in 1941. A graduate of Wellesley with a B.A. in English literature, Turnay spoke English, German, French and Polish.