Curtis "Mark" Turner

Curtis "Mark" Turner
September 23, 1959 – January 3, 2026
Some people enter a room quietly.
Mark Turner never did.
He arrived with a story already forming, a punchline not far behind, and a way of pulling people in that made you feel like you were part of something special. He loved words, loved laughter, and believed deeply that life was always offering material: joy and heartbreak, triumph and failure, every emotion becoming a character, every hardship a lesson, every moment a story worth telling.
Curtis Mark Turner, known to everyone simply as Mark, passed away suddenly on Saturday, January 3, at the age of 66. What remains is a lifetime of stories, big dreams, and the unmistakable echo of laughter he leaves behind.
Mark was born on September 23, 1959, in Springfield, Missouri, the youngest child of Joe and Mary Turner. He grew up in the Ozarks, where his early years were formative and complex, shaping both his fierce independence and his unmistakable voice. From a young age, Mark felt a strong pull toward storytelling and self-determination, instincts that would guide the life he went on to build.
He graduated from Parkview High School and did something that would become a pattern throughout his life: he went all in, early.
At just 17, Mark left home to begin a new chapter - marriage and fatherhood. In 1977, he welcomed his first son, Richard Daniel "Dan" Turner, followed by his daughter, Ramah "Jill" Turner, in 1980. Though that marriage ended the same year Jill was born, Mark's role as a father never did. He loved his "Dan Turner" and his "Goose," as Jill would forever be known to him, with pride, devotion, and, of course, no shortage of stories.
Mark earned his Bachelor of Arts in Television and Film from the University of Missouri–Columbia in 1986. While at Mizzou, he was a proud member of the Kappa Alpha Fraternity and remained close with his fraternity brothers throughout his life - relationships he valued deeply and spoke of often.
In 1992, Mark followed the dream that had been calling him west and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film. It was a leap fueled by belief, imagination, and the conviction that life was meant to be lived boldly. He remained a big dreamer his entire life, always chasing the next idea, the next story, the next possibility.
Mark believed no experience was wasted. He mined his own life - the hard parts as much as the joyful ones - for characters, humor, and truth. With a sharp eye and a fearless voice, he used exaggeration not to hide reality, but to reveal it.
His love of storytelling was not only personal; it was professional. Mark began his career as a photojournalist for a local NBC affiliate, where he created award-winning narrative vignettes that earned record-high ratings and two Spot News Emmy Awards. In Los Angeles, he worked with major studios and networks including Fox, FX, Warner Bros., and Playhouse Pictures, where he served as an animation producer, supervising projects from concept to air and writing scripts and storyboards for animated commercials.
Never content to stop learning, Mark studied television and screenwriting at the American Film Institute and UCLA Extension. He wrote, directed, and produced several original projects, including the critically acclaimed dark comedy Take Care of Daddy, an Academy Award–considered film that screened at festivals across the country and was an audience favorite. His screenplays earned top placements and recognition in multiple national competitions, affirming what those closest to him already knew: Mark had a distinct voice.
Later in life, he founded NosheGoshe Entertainment, his own creative venture encompassing film, television, and storytelling in all its forms. Even as health challenges emerged, his writing continued, drawing from a deep reservoir built through years of hardship, ambition, success, and failure. Mark believed those experiences were essential to telling honest stories.
From the time he was a child, Mark loved competition and the camaraderie that came with it. He played football from the age of five and loved telling the story of how he managed to get into Mighty Mites a year early because he was "so big." Football carried him all the way through high school and remained a constant throughout his life.
That love never faded. Whether he was watching a game, debating one, or retelling old football stories (often with creative embellishments) football was one of his great joys. His competitive spirit stayed with him well into adulthood. In 2009, Mark proudly competed in triathlons as part of the Warner Bros. team, an accomplishment that reflected both his determination and his refusal to let age or circumstance define him.
In later years, Mark faced serious health challenges after a bout with the flu attacked his heart, marking the beginning of ongoing heart issues. In 2016, he returned home from Los Angeles to Springfield, Missouri. Though his health changed the shape of his days, it never dimmed his curiosity, humor, or love of conversation. He continued to live fully, engaging deeply with the world and the people he loved. His passing came sooner than anyone expected, but those who loved him trust that God had other plans.
One of Mark's favorite roles came later in life: becoming a grandfather.
In 2002, he welcomed his first grandchild, Drew Turner, son of Dan and Alicia Turner. Years later, he became "Grandpa Mark" to two granddaughters, Kara Finney (2010) and Caitlyn Finney (2012), children of Jill and Don Finney. Being a grandparent gave Mark a new audience - and new stories - and he embraced it with the same warmth, humor, and pride that defined him.
Mark leaves behind his children, Dan Turner (Alicia) and Jill Finney (Don); his grandchildren, Drew Turner, Kara Finney, and Caitlyn Finney; his sister, Pam Goddard (Tom), and his brother, Greg Turner (Kathy). He is also survived by several nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews; and by family, friends, and countless others who found themselves drawn into his stories.
His legacy lives on in laughter, in well-told tales, and in the lives of those who leaned in to listen. And somewhere, somehow, Mark is surely already working on his next chapter.
A service celebrating Mark's life will be held Monday, January 12, 2026, at 11 a.m. at Walnut Lawn Funeral Home.