Marion R. Turner, Col USAF(Ret)

[BLUEHAWK]

Marion R. TURNER Jr.


POQUOSON - Marion R. Turner Jr., Lt. Col., U.S. Air Force (Ret.) passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2010, after a short illness. He was 88 years old.
Col. Turner was born in Chandler, Texas, and attended Southern Methodist University and Texas A&M University before enlisting in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a flying cadet in 1942. He was a B-17 pilot with the 95th Bombardier Group in England during World War II with the Eighth Air Force, flying daylight missions over Germany. He married Tommie Baugh, his wife of 65 years, in Galveston, Texas, after the war ended in 1945.
He became a Regular Officer in 1946 and continued to fly multi-engine aircraft for the duration of his military career. He graduated from the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology as an Aeronautical Engineer in 1954. A Command Pilot, he retired in 1969 after a career of 27 years of continuous service, including the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. He was a Military Weaponeer from 1947 – 1951 at Sandia Base, New Mexico. He spent several years as an Instructor and Staff Officer at nuclear weapons facilities, served an Officer of the Air AttachE at the American Embassy in London, and worked for 15 years in various National Intelligence agencies as an expert on foreign aircraft and nuclear technology. His awards included the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with clusters, and the Joint Services Commendation Medal.
After he retired from the Air Force, he worked for several firms as an Engineer and Construction Manager, retiring from Malcolm Pirnie, Inc. Consulting and Environmental Engineers in 1985.
Col. Turner served multiple terms as a member of the Poquoson School Board and was an active and beloved member of the McDonald's Breakfast OFC. He was known for his quick wit, sense of humor, and gift of storytelling.
He is survived by his wife, Tommie; two daughters, Toni, who lives in Austin, Texas, and Patricia Lynn (Trisha), a resident of Poquoson; son-in-law, Jim Bruseth; sister-in-law, Olga Baugh Johnson; eight nieces and nephews; nine great-nieces and nephews, and a godchild, Lesa Yawn.
According to his wishes, Col. Turner was cremated, but the family invites you to celebrate his life at two special events: a visitation from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17, at Claytor Rollins Funeral Home, 836 Poquoson Ave., Poquoson, and memorial service at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 18, at the funeral home. A reception will follow the memorial service.
Honorary pallbearers will include Phil and Merry Barr, Charlie and Georgia McDaniel, Lesa Yawn and Michael Wooten, and the special friends from the McDonalds Breakfast Club. Col. Turner will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery in 2011.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Poquoson Fire and Rescue, 830 Poquoson Ave., Poquoson, VA 23662, or to the 95th Bomb Group Memorials Foundation, P.O. Box 71, Metuchen, NJ 08840. Online condolences to www.claytorrollins.com. View and post condolences on our online guestbook at dailypress.com/guestbooks.


Published in Daily Press from December 16 to December 17, 2010