James W Turner

It is with great sorrow that the Turner family announces the passing of James William Turner, better known as Jim.

On February 25, 2024, Jim lost his battle with cancer at the age of 80. Jim is survived by his wife, Mary Lou; his siblings, Terry, Beverly, Larry, Patricia, David, and Pamela; his children, Michelle and Melanie, his grandchildren, Willow, Hannah, TJ, and Truman; and great-grandchild, Miles.

Jim was born on August 31, 1943, in San Francisco, CA. He graduated Santa Monica High School. Shortly after high school, Jim joined the United States Navy. The military quickly noticed Jim's intelligence. As such, he was among a small group of sailors selected to serve as an inaugural crew member of the NR-1, the first nuclear powered deep diving research and recovery vessel of its kind. During sea trials, Jim, the lowest ranked sailor on board, had the distinct honor of being personally selected by the famous Admiral Rickover to pilot the submarine. Jim not only successfully piloted the ship, but he also took her down to a depth of three thousand feet (her designed depth limit), with a smiling Admiral Rickover next to him. Jim went on to attend the University of Pittsburgh while working a lengthy career in the control room of the first commercial nuclear reactor in Shippingport, PA.

Mary Lou and Jim met at a social outing in Southwick, MA in 1965. They later married and had two daughters. In 2016, Jim and Mary Lou delighted in seeing friends and family celebrate their 50 years of marriage.

If you played bridge with Jim, you likely envied his ability to concentrate, use of logic, and astute bidding and card play. He also enjoyed tackling the most fiendish sudoku puzzles he could find.

As a young man, Jim enjoyed crafting surfboards, gifting one to his younger brother before enlisting. He impressed his daughters by undertaking hobbies such as making sundials. Jim was also a self-taught flautist, entertaining his family by playing beautiful music after dinner. He played like a child with his daughters in the swimming pool when they were young. He treasured his Harley Davidson and scared us all with his passion for the open road. Jim's love of reading was surpassed in later years by a devotion to crafting the perfect cup of coffee. Jim did not start as a pet lover; however, after years of living with his wife, Jim became the consummate pet dad to their beloved dogs and cats.

An informal survey of friends and family all remarked about his quiet intellect, contagious laughter, and gifted story telling. If you have a fond memory of Jim, we encourage you to share your memory with his family.

There will be no funeral. Instead, we ask that you brew a cup of coffee, grab some friends and play a hand of bridge, attempt to complete a challenging sudoku, or enjoy quality time with your favorite pet.

In lieu of flowers, Jim would appreciate donations being made to Donte's Den Animal Sanctuary, 6801 283rd St E, Myakka City, FL 34251, (dontesden.org), as they provide on-going care for his cherished dogs.