Clifford H. Turen

TUREN , Clifford H. Dr. Clifford H. Turen, an internationally recognized orthopaedic traumatologist, died Sunday, January 13, 2013 in an airplane accident. He was 55. Dr. Turen was employed as an orthopaedic trauma surgeon at Bayhealth Medical Center in Dover. Previously, he worked at Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore for 20 years, serving as the Chief of Orthopaedic Trauma Services and the Director of its Orthopaedic Traumatology Fellowship Program. As Director of that program he trained countless fellows and residents who rotated through Shock Trauma. He was friend and mentor to many of the orthopaedic traumatologists now serving as faculty and program directors throughout the US and abroad. He served as President of the AO North American Membership and as a Senior Trustee of the AO Foundation, a global-non-profit organization led by trauma surgeons. Through this work he was internationally recognized for his teaching and clinical acumen. Dr. Turen served for 28 years as a Commander in the Medical Corps of the US Navy Reserve. While on active duty he was medical officer for the Navy Seals. Professionally and personally Dr. Turen thrived in challenging situations. He was active in the Emergency Medical Service community as an educator, provider and medical director, serving with the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute, the Washington DC Fire Department and the Howard County, MD Fire and Rescue Department. He contributed as a dive team member and instructor, firefighter, and fire officer. He was a former Special Deputy US Marshal and led the development of the tactical EMS program for the National Capital Region Antiterrorism Task Force. He is survived by his wife Bethanne; sons Jonathan and Jason Turen; stepchildren Jessica Webster, Margaret Sutton (William)and Zach Webster; step-grandson Alex Webster; his mother Georgia Lo Prete; and sister Anita Davidson (Robert Friedman). His father, Sidney Turen, died in 1970.