Ursula Jeannette Marie Tuerk

Ursula Tuerk passed away on April 7, 2023, in Cobourg, Ontario. She is survived by her husband, David Coulter, of Lockport, NY/ Port Hope, her sister, Helene Green, grandniece, Kaitlyn Coutlee, and grandnephew, Joshua Coutlee, of Kamloops.
Ursula was born in Peterborough, GBR in 1952 to an English-Welsh mother and a German father. Emigrating to Canada as an infant; she grew up in Milton, Ontario.
For many years she travelled across Canada holding a diverse set of jobs from a teller in Churchill Falls, Labrador, to employment in western resorts, to running an equestrian program at a children’s camp near Perry Sound and working for a photography company doing school and business shoots throughout Canada and in the US. In Edmonton she worked at a Boys and Girls Club, ran a school program for a ski hill, and ran an English riding school. Always active she liked to run, hike, swim, ski, sail, canoe and ride horses.
With a lifetime desire for learning she attended Simon Fraser University, Ryerson and Thompson Rivers University before enrolling in Brock University. She had been a very bright student skipping a grade but generally disliked school. She wanted to go back to try to make education better for others. While studying for her teacher’s certificate, she worked nights in a donut shop to support her education until her graduation from Brock at age 35. She loved teaching and her students; she taught English and Law and Special Ed. Working first at Bowmanville, Ursula retired from teaching in 2016 from Courtice Secondary School.
Ursula had a lifelong involvement with and love of horses. Her father, Ludwig, was her earliest coach. When in Edmonton she became a certified horse trainer, training and showing several horses of her own. Later after a day of teaching she typically traveled to the stable to ride and care for her horse, returning home late up to 5 nights a week. Her last Hunter Jumper, Shakespeare, was her pride and joy. He raised him from a colt and trained him. An accomplished rider, Ursula competed with Shakespeare at top Ontario events. Following a serious fall, she retired from riding and retired Shakespeare in the early 2000’s. In 2017 Ursula’s passion for horses drew her back to Dressage and she later purchased her last horse, Darius, in 2018, At the end of 2019 her failing health forced her retirement.
Ursula married David in 2015 in Lockport, NY. After retiring from teaching in 2016, she and David bought a cottage near Bancroft. They incessantly traveled back and forth across the border between houses and horses. They enjoyed longer trips from Port Hope to Kamloops, Florida, New Orleans, Montreal, Omaha, New Hampshire and Vermont.
Ursula recently resided at Palisade Gardens Memory Unit, but Dave brought her home to Port Hope for two to three days each week.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a Women’s charity of your choice, your local hospital or the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada.
Burial will be in David’s family cemetery in Lockport, NY on June 3, 2023. A Canadian celebration of life will be held on June 4th, 2023 from 2:00 -4:00 PM with a sharing of memories at 2:30PM at MacCoubrey Funeral Home, 30 King Street East, Cobourg, ON. Questions or remembrances to Ursula’s email at thetempest9@hotmail.com