Calvin A. Turner

Calvin Allen Turner Jr. died Saturday, March 17, 2012, surrounded by his family in Seguin, Texas. A graveside service will be held at 10 am on Saturday, March 24th, at Kingsbury Cemetery. He is survived by his wife Patricia "Janie" Kersey Turner; son James Turner and daughter-in-law-to-be Jean Scheidnes; daughter Terri Turner Blang and son-in-law Bryan Blang; and grandsons Keaton Blang, Conner Blang, Chase Allison and Kaden Allison.

Calvin was born in Seguin to Calvin "Cab" Turner Sr. and Charlissa Smith Turner on August 14, 1945. (V-J Day, as he liked to point out.) He graduated from Seguin High School in 1964. Thereafter, during the Vietnam War, he served in the U.S. Air Force as an air policeman based in Utapao, Thailand.

He entered the Texas Game Warden Academy in December 1972. His father and great uncle had been game wardens, and his son would become one, too. It was Calvin's true calling, which brought him excitement, fulfillment and a lifetime of great stories.

An act of bravery put him in the headlines at one point, when Texas Monthly and other magazines covered his rescue of his diving instructor Don Dibble. Dibble, who specialized in rescue and recovery, had gone into Jacob's Well, an artesian well of Edwards Aquifer in Wimberley, in search of a group of men who had disappeared into a chamber, when a landslide trapped him. Calvin managed to get to Dibble, give him oxygen and bring him to the surface. He cared little for the resulting publicity, as he had simply acted out of his everyday sense of duty and professionalism. He served in Hays County for 23 years, until 1995.

After retiring from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, Calvin worked as a special investigator in the office of the Hays County district attorney, then relocated to Lake LBJ, where he became the unofficial handyman of Highland Haven. Calvin was always ready to help anyone with anything.

One thing friends admired most about Calvin was his marriage. He wed young, adored his wife, and would have celebrated their 46th anniversary in June. Although the couple endured hardships, including the passing of their daughter Lori Turner Allison in 2007, the steadfastness and playful nature of their relationship was an inspiration to all who knew them. They have a large extended family with a tendency to gather at their house, especially when Calvin would smoke brisket. Many said, without hesitation, that it was the best brisket they ever had.

Since resettling in Seguin in 2007, he was committed to daily coffees with old friends. If he wasn't socializing at IHOP, he could usually be found in his workshop with his extensive tool collection (antique and modern.) He had a soft spot for Max, a surly rat terrier/Chihuahua mix, with whom he was inseparable for the past 10 years.

Calvin is also survived by three siblings-Donna Jean "Smokey" Taylor, Morgan Turner and Shauna Turner Bell-and numerous cousins, nephews, nieces and in-laws.

Calvin was a stern father, with high expectations, but he was also a teddy bear. He was gregarious and loved to laugh. He had a wicked sense of humor, a great deadpan delivery, and was always ready with a prank.

He will be missed tremendously.

Calvin was an active member of the Guadalupe County 100 Club which supports families of fallen or injured first responders. The family requests that donations be made to this organization in lieu of flowers.