More detail on this person: James Thomas
Turner, Jr., 68, passed away unexpectedly on
Thursday, June 11, 2015, at a local hospital
following a brief illness. He was born on November
4, 1946, in Muscatine, IA to the late James Turner
and Arlene (Owens) Turner and was raised in
Davenport, IA, where he graduated from Central
High School. Following a year at St. Ambrose
College in Davenport, Jim was selected to attend
and later graduated from the United States Naval
Academy in Annapolis, MD, where he met Virginia
(Ginny) Witte, whom he married on January 24,
1970. During his military career, Jim was
commissioned into the United State Marine Corps,
received both his Army and Navy flight wings, and
rose to the rank of captain in the Marine Corps.
Jim also faithfully served as a CH-46 helicopter
pilot and flight instructor during the Vietnam Era
doing search and rescue missions. While stationed
in Kailua, HI, Jim earned a Master's of Science in
Systems Management from the University of
Southern California. He later accepted a position
at Procter & Gamble in Green Bay, WI, where he
worked as an engineer for 24 years until his
retirement in 1999.
Shortly after his retirement, following
complications from bypass surgery, Jim received a
heart transplant at St. Luke's Hospital in
Milwaukee, WI. He was very grateful to his
surgeons Drs. Tector and MacDonald and the
young man who was his donor. Jim became a
strong advocate for organ donation as a result and
became a donor himself.
Jim was a very active volunteer and was named
Volunteer of the Year at the N.E.W. Zoo where he
tended to giraffes and tiger cubs and dressed up
as animals and other characters for holidays at
the zoo. He also volunteered as a YMCA youth
swimming instructor. In addition, he headed the
building committee for construction and expansion
of Christ of the Bay Lutheran Church, where he had
been a member for many years serving as both
treasurer and chairman of the board.
This year, Jim published his first book, a work of
fiction called "Hobo Jake: The Ghost of the N.E.W.
Zoo" and was in the process of writing two other
books. Jim's other hobbies included reading,
fishing, collecting stamps and coins, and
mastering Sudoku.
Jim is survived by his loving wife of 45 years,
Ginny "The Red Head" Turner; two daughters,
Stephanie Turner, Madison, WI and Tracy (Chris)
Gillespie, Green Bay, WI; grandson and "little
buddy", Sam Gillespie, Green Bay, WI; brother,
Tom (Mickey) Turner, Davenport, IA; sister-in-law,
Eileen Witte, Baltimore, MD; and brother-in-law,
Aaron Witte, Annapolis, MD. He is also survived by
nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends.
While Jim's family is very saddened by his
passing, they are grateful that he had previously
survived serious injuries following a helicopter
crash and also heart transplant surgery.
A visitation will be at 9:30 a.m. Monday, June 15
at Christ of the Bay Lutheran Church, 450 Laverne
Drive, with the funeral service at 11:00 a.m.
officiated by Pastor Curtis DeCoste. Burial will
follow at Woodlawn Cemetery. Malcore Funeral
Home is serving the family. Visit
www.malcorefuneralhome.com to share
condolences.
In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, a
memorial fund has been established for the benefit
of the N.E.W. Zoo.
Published in Green Bay Press-Gazette from June
13 to June 14, 2015
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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