Katherine Meyer Turcotte died Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012, at River Region Medical Center. She was 71.

Mrs. Turcotte was the daughter of the late Edward C. Meyer and Dorothy Jones Meyer and the widow of Roy V. Turcotte Jr., who died on June 18, 2012. She was a graduate of St. Francis Xavier Academy in the class of 1959. She was a chemical dependency counselor, Level II, at Marion Hill Chemical Dependency Center in Vicksburg for the past 18 years and served as counselor at Pine Grove Chemical Dependency Unit in Hattiesburg and St. Dominic Chemical Dependency Unit in Jackson.

In 1994, she was awarded the Hilda Dehan Award, and, in 2000, Mrs. Turcotte was awarded the MAADAC Counselor of the Year Award. She served as SE regional vice president of the National Association for Addiction Professionals. Mrs. Turcotte was an internationally certified clinic supervisor. Since 2007, an award named after her has been given to the Addiction Professional of the Year.

Mrs. Turcotte was founder of the Mississippi Association of Addiction Professionals and had served as past president of the organization. She was a member of the Pi Alpha Kappa Omega Chapter and the Vicksburg Lions Club. She was a communicant of St. Michael Catholic Church.

During her high school years she was known throughout the state as a premier athlete, highlighted by her outstanding basketball talents for the St. Francis Xavier Blue Streaks and was known as Katherine “Speedy” Meyer.

She is survived by four sons, Jeff Turcotte and wife Doris of Albuquerque, N.M., Greg Turcotte and wife Sherrie of Seminary, Tim Turcotte and wife Lisa of Lexington, Ky., Steve Turcotte and wife Candy of Vicksburg; a brother, William Charles “Buddy” Meyer of Savannah, Ga.; 15 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; a sister-in-law, Rosalie Garner and husband Jack of Oxford; and a brother-in-law, Randy Turcotte of Vicksburg.

A funeral Mass was at 11 a.m. today at St. Michael Catholic Church with the Rev. P.J. Curley as celebrant. Burial was at Cedar Hill Cemetery under the direction of Riles Funeral Home.

Memorials may be made to Vicksburg Catholic School, 1900 Grove St., Vicksburg, MS 39183 or to National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependency, Central MS Chapter care of Jenny Crutchfield, 875 North Park Drive, Suite 600, Ridgeland, MS 39157.

Pallbearers were Randy Turcotte, Tyler Turcotte, Tessa Turcotte, LaShay Meyer, Darrell Jones, Michael Jones, J.B. Edwards and Dr. Robert Lee Giffin Jr.

Honorary pallbearers were members of the Vicksburg Lions Club and members of the Pi Alpha Kappa Omega Chapter.