Addison Eugene "Ace" Thurman

1943 - 2019

Addison Eugene "Ace" Thurman FORT WORTH--The life of Addison Eugene "Ace" Thurman, 75, will be Celebrated for family and friends at 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 20, 2019, at Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth. Addison Eugene "Ace" Thurman, the kindest, most joyful and loving man, was born in Pawnee, Okla., on April 27, 1943. His early life was filled with adventures of camping and farm life on the plains of Oklahoma with his parents, Jones and Kate, and his sister, Judy. He graduated from Enid High School and headed to SW State College where he earned a BS in Biology. It was then that Ace took an exciting leap from Oklahoma to Tulane University and the wild life of New Orleans. There he met a crazy local girl working at the med school. Two weeks later on their first date, he asked Eileen to marry him (at which time she knew HE was the one who was crazy.) He earned an MS in Physiology in 1967 and returned to Oklahoma to follow his true life passion of becoming a physician. He married Eileen "Trixie" Ittmann in 1968 and kidnapped her to Oklahoma where their 50-year fairytale life began. He earned his MD from Oklahoma University in 1971 and completed his urology residency at UTHSC in San Antonio. Scott and Sally were born there, and Ace was deliriously in love with these two. He was truly ahead of his time, a diaper-changing, snuggling dad, who supported, encouraged and loved them always. Ace then served two years as a major in the Air Force at Carswell AFB in Fort Worth. And here we remain, 40 years later, surrounded by the love of three generations of friends and family. Ace belonged to countless medical societies, associations and served on numerous boards. The focus of his life was always, family, friends, golf, college sports, travel, patients and colleagues and for the last 10 years, his precious grandchildren. Aiden and Mason Alband (Sally and Navid) and Lola and Austin Thurman (Scott and Kerri) brightened his days and lit up his life. Cooking, crafting, waterskiing, gardening, costuming, traveling, overnighting, ANYTHING was possible with Poppy. Their love and visits kept him young, positive and yearning for more years to come. Ace's sense of fairness, kindness and joy lives on in the hearts of all who knew him. He is also survived by his sister, Judy Tate, and her companion, Marita Hynes; nieces, nephews and cousins that he loved and adored. MEMORIALS: In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The First Tee Fort Worth (www.thefirstteeftworth.org); Project Access Tarrant County (www.tcms.org/PATC.aspx); or a charity of your choice.