John Clifford Turner

Born: December 7, 1918  Died: December 30, 2016

Having spent 98 love filled years on this Earth, enriching the lives of those around him, John Clifford Turner gracefully passed away on December 30, 2016. John was born on December 7, 1918 in McDonough, GA. Having lost his father at the age of 7, he helped his mother and 5 siblings through the depression years acquiring a strong work ethic that served him well throughout his life. At the age of 17, with his mother’s permission, he joined the Army and served 3 years in Panama. In 1943, his country called again and before going overseas John was sent to training in Tullahoma, TN, where he met and married the love of his life, Ruth Warren Turner. Shortly after marriage, John was sent to the WWII battlefields of France. Fitting his gentle nature, he was assigned to be a Medic on the front lines. His time in Europe ended when he had to be hospitalized then sent home after suffering frost bitten feet from carrying wounded across a partially frozen creek for hours on end. Rejoined with his wife, they spent the next 73 years caring for their 5 children, 13 grandchildren, and 17 great-grandchildren.

Working as an operating engineer for Transcontinental Gas Pipeline, the family lived in Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Alabama before he retired in 1980 to Tennessee. John and Ruth entertained and educated their children and grandchildren by camping all over the country and continued traveling well into their golden years. After his retirement, he and Ruth stayed busy volunteering to help others through their church, Cokesbury United Methodist Church. Though his family knows he is now reaping his rewards for a life well lived as a devout Christian, husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, they also know that he will be terribly missed here on earth.

John is preceded in death by his parents, 4 of his siblings; and his son, John Warren Turner. Left to mourn him are his adored wife, Ruth Warren Turner; son, Jim Turner (Susan); daughters, Marty McGreevy (Pat), Mary Desmond (Kevin), Diane Montgomery (Jim); and his sister, Helen Love of Macon, GA. “PopPop” will be greatly missed by his 13 grandchildren who absolutely adored him: Laura McGreevy, Cathy Malec, Jennifer Cline, Jessica Turnbill, Ryan Desmond, Susan Haynes, Alan Turner, Barhyt Henry, Laura Henry, Tyler Henry, Turner Montgomery, Ivy Montgomery, and Madison Montgomery.

Funeral service will be held 2:00p.m., Monday January 2, 2017 Cokesbury United Methodist Church with the Rev. Carol Hollar officiating. The family will receive friends from 12:30-2:00 p.m., preceding the service. Interment will take place 12:00 noon, Tuesday, January 3, 2017 Pleasant Forest Cemetery, Concord, with full Military Honors provided by Volunteer State Veteran’s Honor Guard. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to Cokesbury United Methodist Church, 9908 Kingston Pike, Knoxvile, TN 37922, for the ministry of Susannah’s House, a program which supports drug addicted expectant mothers. On-line condolences may be extended at www.rosemortuary.com Arrangements by Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage chapel.