John Pollard Turman Jr.

11/2/1944-04/18/2016

John Turman, a prominent development officer and active member of the Atlanta community passed away on April 18, 2016 at his home.

John was born in Atlanta on Nov. 2, 1944 to the late John Pollard and Laura Troutman Turman. He is survived by his wife Janet Gore Turman and their three daughters and their families. John grew up in Brookwood Hills and attended E. Rivers Elementary School. He graduated from The Westminster Schools in 1963 and from the University of Georgia where he was a member of SAE and earned a BA in history and political science.

He worked for the First National Bank of Atlanta right after college, but his real estate career began soon after when he joined Pope & Carter where he worked for 27 years. He was awarded the Phoenix Award for his achievements as “one of the most highly regarded leasing agents in his field.” During his real estate career, John served on many boards—Northside Hospital, Atlanta Speech School, United Cerebral Palsey of Georgia, Wesley Woods Foundation, YMCA of Metro Atlanta, Emory University Board of Visitors, Friends of Winship/Winship Cancer Institute, Winship Advisory Board, Piedmont Driving Club, The Westminster Schools, Atlanta Board of Realtors.

After John’s career in real estate, his first nonprofit job was as Director of Planned Giving at Westminster for 10 years. Later, in 2009-2010, he was the recipient of the Westminster Alumni Service Award. After his work at Westminster, John joined Skyland Trail as Director of Development until his retirement in 2015. John often said how gratifying nonprofit work was throughout his life.

John was a member of the Piedmont Driving Club, Capital City Club, The Breakfast Club, the Homosassa Fishing Club and the Kiwanis Club of Atlanta. Always a man of God, John was an active member of Northside United Methodist Church where he served in many capacities.

When John was diagnosed with cancer in June, 2014 the entire family adopted and adapted the following mantra: Live the life I have now, not the life I had nor the life I will have, but live the life I have now.

The family of strong faith and values continued to count their blessings in spite of setbacks. John continued to email jokes to his select list of recipients—particularly those who referred to him as “The Admiral”—and enjoyed visits from his ever widening circle of friends. His gentle sense of humor endured throughout. His blue eyes and perpetual smile never dimmed, nor did his well-known trait of putting other people first.

Favorite destinations over the years were Cashiers, Ponte Vedra, Sea Island and Homosassa. John and Janet also enjoyed traveling abroad together and with friends. A most significant trip for John and his growth as a Christian was a Middle East Travel Seminar (METS) trip he took in 1996 with lay people and seminarians. His father had gone on the very first METS trip in 1979.

John and Janet were high school sweethearts who married on Aug. 13, 1966 and who sustained a particular devotion over their 50 years. The family that survives him includes their three daughters and their families: Lydia Turman Hansen (John) and daughters Ellie Hansen and Emily Hansen; Claire Turman Greenlee (Chris) and son Clay Greenlee; Lynne Turman Rankin (Jamie) and children Margaret Rankin and James Rankin. John’s sister Laura Turman Newton (Howell) and children Candi Newton Wilson and Virginia Newton Fuller also survive him.

On Janet’s side of the family her late sister Nancy Gore Taylor’s children—Scott Taylor (Carrie) and family and Ashley Taylor Kelly and family—survive him as do Clark Gore (Susan) and children Peyton Gore and Rebecca Gore Pinto (Francisco); Claire Gore Nolan (Geoff) and daughter Streeter Nolan. John will also be deeply missed by many devoted cousins in the Harbin and Troutman families as well as the lifelong and new friends on whose lives John leaves an indelible impact, including Josephine Stubblefield who has been an important member of the family for 42 years. The family is grateful for caregivers Carmela Beard, Patsy Brown and Greg Victor.

The family will receive visitors at H.M. Patterson & Son, Oglethorpe Hill Chapel in Brookhaven on Wednesday, April 20 from 4-7PM. The service will be held at Northside United Methodist Church on Thursday, April 21 at 2PM with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Development Office, 1762 Clifton Road, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30322; the George West Mental Health Foundation at Skyland Trail, 1961 North Druid Hills Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329; or The Westminster Schools Office of Institutional Advancement, 1424 West Paces Ferry Road NW, Atlanta, GA 30327.