CHARLES EDWARD TURNER

1937 - 2014

CHARLES EDWARD TURNER, 77, of Huntington, husband of Linda Matheny Turner, passed away on Sunday, October 5, 2014. A gathering of family and friends will be conducted from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Klingel-Carpenter Mortuary with a celebration of life scheduled for 11 a.m. on Friday at Fifth Avenue Baptist Church. "Skip" (or "Buddy" Turner as he was then known) was born on April 19, 1937 in Huntington, the only child of James Clyde and Jewell Turner. He graduated from Huntington East High School in 1955, earned an A.B. from Marshall College in 1957, and an M.D. from the West Virginia University School of Medicine in 1963. He completed his medical training in Rochester, NY following a two year commitment to the United States Navy. He returned to Huntington in 1969 and formed a medical partnership with Drs. Russell Cook, Rowland Burns and William Sheils that soon became the Huntington Internal Medicine Group. He had just formally retired from active practice with HIMG a week before his death. In addition to his 45 years as a practicing physician, Skip was a volunteer physician at Ebenezer Medical Outreach Center, where he established a Hepatitis C clinic, and where he also supervised medical residents as part of his duties as Assistant Professor of Medicine at Marshall University's School of Medicine. For many years his volunteer work took him to Nicaragua where he helped develop and maintain a nutrition program for an orphanage in Vera Cruz. He was planning on making another trip to Nicaragua in February, 2015. Skip cherished his long relationship with St. Mary's Hospital and the Pallotine Sisters, for whom he served as their personal physician. He always credited his long tenure at St. Mary's to the Sisters, who shared his Christian values and devotion to the poor and those in need. Among his numerous professional honors Skip was a Master of the American College of Physicians, past Governor of the West Virginia Chapter of the American College of Physicians and a Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology. He was a member of the American Medical Association and past President of the West Virginia Medical Association. He was a longtime member of Fifth Avenue Baptist Church. Skip is survived by his loving wife of 55 years, Linda, four children, Jim (Michelle), Holly Hickman (Patrick), Mark (Melissa), and Julie Henry (Scott) and 11 grandchildren, Nicholas, Abigail, Erika, Bryn, Owen, and Norah Turner, Zachary Hickman, Erin and Wyatt Turner, and Evan and Emma Henry. He was preceded in death by his parents, his in-laws Wade and Oreda Matheny, and his grandson Turner Hickman. Skip was a wonderful bright light who illuminated the lives of all with whom he came into contact. He was guided by Christ's love in everything he did. He lived his faith. In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to MUS/HIMG Founder's Scholarship c/o Marshall University School of Medicine, 1600 Medical Center Drive or to Fifth Avenue Baptist Church, designated to Remar, (a ministry to Nicaragua) 1135 5th Avenue, Huntington, WV 25701. Family Guestbook at www.klingelcarpenter.com.