Konar, Aynur D. passed away peacefully on February 21, 2020 in the presence of her family. She was 86. Aynur was born in Istanbul, Turkey. She attended Istanbul University in the mid-1950s where she earned Bachelor degrees in mathematics and astronomy. In 1959, she married her former math tutor, Ahmet F. Konar. The couple moved to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where Ahmet studied electrical engineering and Aynur studied physics. After Aynur and Ahmet relocated to the Twin Cities, Aynur divided her time between raising her three sons and serving her community. Aynur was a founder of the Twin Cities' first Turkish American Association and represented the Turkish American community in St. Paul's Festival of Nations and the Minneapolis Aquatennial. Aynur helped establish the Islamic Center of Minnesota, one of the first mosques in the Twin Cities, and taught Sunday school to kindergarten-age students there for many years. A long- time resident of Circle Pines, Minnesota, Aynur volunteered at Golden Lake Elementary School and helped start and lead the area's first 4-H club. Aynur also served as a Boy Scout citizenship merit badge counselor before becoming a United States citizen herself in the 1990s. Aynur loved spending time with her children and grandchildren. She was an avid gardener and she loved knitting, including as a member of the knitting club at Covenant Village senior residence. Aynur is survived by her sons Murat (Norma), Mithat, and Mehmet (Christine) and her grandchildren Gabriel, Naci, and Beatrice. In keeping with Islamic tradition, Aynur was buried shortly after her passing in a private ceremony. The family is planning a celebration of life in her honor. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to the International Institute of Minnesota, the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, or the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at Como Park in St. Paul.
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