John Lee Turner

John Lee Turner passed away peacefully on August 15, 2018, surrounded by wife, Nancy, and family. Strong until the end, he left this life with the same courage and grace with which he had lived for 68 years.

John was born on May 17, 1950, in Dallas, Texas, to J. Glenn and Sue Reeder Turner. As a young boy, John excelled at horsemanship, training and showing world champion Tennessee Walking horses the Turner family bred at their Circle T Ranch in Westlake, Texas. During these early years, John also discovered a deep and abiding love for two hobbies that would follow him throughout his lifetime: SMU Mustangs football and shooting sports. Fall was a busy time for John, as he hustled between a Mustangs football game and a sun-drenched dove field—always with a smile on his face and love in his heart.

Education was important to John. He’d been diagnosed with dyslexia as a child and doctors told him he would never finish high school. Those doctors, however, could not have been more wrong: John attended elementary school at the St. Marks School of Texas, high school at the Phelps Academy, a preparatory school in Malvern, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

Beginning in the 1970’s, John launched a business career that would span across industries. From restaurants to real estate development, John spent his career as an entrepreneur, starting and building many successful businesses over the years. He would find his most enduring professional accomplishments in the natural gas business—as working interest owner in the San Juan Basin of New Mexico—and as a custom home builder in the Park Cities and North Dallas areas.

John’s deepest life calling, however, was as a husband and father. He met the love of his life, Nancy Weber, in 1981. Married in 1983, John and Nancy together had two sons, Brian and Michael, and raised John Jr. and Lauren, John’s children from a prior marriage. Over this time together, John’s family formed a loving and loyal group that relished the adventure that was life with “Papa”. From navigating across the Bahamas onboard a boat better suited for Lake Lewisville than the open sea, to crisscrossing the country in a souped-up motorhome, John imbued to his wife and children a love for adventure, discovery and laughter.

He is survived by his loving wife of 35 years, Nancy Weber Turner, and his beloved children and grandchildren: John L. Turner Jr., his wife Eva and their children, John III and Claire; Lauren Turner Itschner, her husband Royce and daughters, Lacey and Annie; Brian Turner; and Michael Turner, and his fiancé Mary Alex Smith of Dallas. John is also survived by his sisters, Elizabeth Turner Calloway and Mary Francis Turner, and two brothers, J. Glenn Turner Jr. and Fred E. Turner, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

The family wishes to express their heartfelt thanks to the medical team at Baylor Medical Center, his wonderful caregivers and doctors who helped John fight until the end. John’s memorial service will be held in the Sanctuary of Sparkman Hillcrest Funeral Home at 7405 W Northwest Hwy, Dallas, Texas, on Monday, August 20, at 12:00 p.m., with a reception following. The family has expressed that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN, 38105, or the charity of your choice.