Andrew Lucius Turner Jr.

Andrew Lucius (Andy) Turner Jr., 90, of Deltaville, Va., and Roanoke, Va., passed away on December 16, 2009. He died peacefully, holding the hand of Evelyn, his wife of almost 67 years, and surrounded by the six children he raised and loved. He is survived by his beloved wife, Evelyn (Stearns) Turner; his daughters, Sydney Marshall Turner, of Boston, Mass., Leslie Turner Babcock, of Roanoke, Va., Courtney Lee Turner, of Arlington, Va., and Ankara, Turkey; and sons Andrew L. Turner III and his wife, Laurie, of Raleigh, N.C., Marion Roberts Morrissett, of Richmond, Va., and Michael Turner Morrissett and his wife, Clay, of Roanoke, Va. He is also survived by one sister, Dorothy Turner Smithey, of Richmond, Va.; and was preceded in death by a sister, Mildred Turner Morrissett; and a brother, Charles Lemon Turner.
"Grandy," as he was lovingly known by his 10 grandchildren, is survived by Logan Elsass, of New York City, Chloe Elsass, of Charlottesville, Va., Andrew Turner IV and Jackson Turner, of Raleigh, N.C., Melissa Morrissett, of Bellevue, Wash., Jeffrey Morrissett, of Evanston, Ill., William Morrissett, of Roanoke, Andrew Morrissett, of Charlottesville, Va., Benjamin Babcock, of North Beach, Md., and Hannah Babcock, of Roanoke.
Born in Roanoke on January 2, 1919, to the late Andrew Lucius Turner and the late Elsie Lee (Lemon) Turner, Andy was enrolled in the nursery of Roanoke's First Baptist Church in 1921 and maintained his church membership for almost 90 years. During his childhood, he delighted in going "over to the country" of Fincastle and New Castle to visit relatives on their farms. He achieved the rank of Eagle Scout at the age of 13. He graduated from Jefferson High School and Virginia Military Institute, Class of 1940, where he was third in his class and a member of the horse-drawn field artillery. At the time of his death, he was planning to attend his 70th reunion in the spring of 2010.
A member of the "Greatest Generation," Andy was stationed in India for two years during World War II, earning the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and receiving the bronze star. However, before going to war, he met his future wife, Evelyn Stearns, of Richmond, Va., on a blind date. He used to brag to his children that he proposed to her on the first date, an event made complicated by the fact that she was someone else's date! They were married in 1943 before he was sent overseas.
Following an honorable discharge from the service, Andy settled in Roanoke and began to raise his family. He joined Turner Candy Company, a wholesale distributor, and later expanded the company to Turner Distributing Company.
He was extremely active in First Baptist Church and served as a Deacon, Sunday School teacher and Chairman of the Finance Committee. He was both past president and lieutenant governor of Kiwanis International, a Hospice volunteer and a passionate advocate and board chairman of the Salvation Army where he loved ringing the bell at Christmas.
In 1932, Andy made his first trip to the "Rivah" during a fishing trip with his father. He and his family joined the ranks of Summer People on Fishing Bay more than 50 years ago. In 1994, he became a year-round resident, active in the YMCA, the Power Squadron, the Rivers Club, Fishing Bay Yacht Club, the ROMEOs, Turkey Hunters of the Northern Neck, Lower United Methodist Church, the Deltaville Maritime Museum, Great Decisions, the Deltaville Community Association and numerous other organizations. He was Grand Marshall of the Heritage Day Parade in 2008.
Andy loved fishing, hunting, playing cards, dancing and golf. He was fascinated by computers and modern technology, but carried with him a mathematical problem he had been working on since his college days. He wrote "pomes" for every major occasion, loved crossword puzzles, reading and genealogy. He could make a pattern and sew a garment or soothe a crying grandchild within the embrace of his large hands. He taught each grandchild to fish and delighted when they learned to bait their own hook and clean their catch. He was a true patriot whose eyes would fill with tears over the "Star Spangled Banner" or "America the Beautiful."
He thrived on family and liked nothing more than to be surrounded by his children and grandchildren. He often joked that he had attended more PTA meetings, Christmas pageants, choir and dance recitals, plays, parent's and grandparent's days and graduations than anyone he knew.
He liked to say that the secret of his long marriage was that "We agree to disagree." During his work with Hospice, he commented that his clients never regretted anything they had done, but rather regretted things they'd always meant to do, but hadn't. As a result, he encouraged his children and grandchildren to follow their passions and live with no regrets. He died, as he lived, a true Virginia gentleman, loved by many, and with no regrets.
A celebration of Andy's life will be held 11 a.m. on Monday, December 28, 2009, at the Lower United Methodist Church in Hartfield, Va. A memorial service is planned for April 10, 2010, in Roanoke. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to the Deltaville Rescue Squad, 17684 General Puller Highway, Deltaville, Va. 23043, the Salvation Army Roanoke Corps, P.O. Box 12088, Roanoke, Va. 24013 or the Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Va. 24450.