Clifford Poppa Turner

When I was asked to give this eulogy for Cliff, I googled the definition of “Eulogy”. My first hit on the internet was a definition that said that “a Eulogy is a formal speech that praises the person who has died.” It then went on to say that “usually a eulogy makes the dead person sound a lot more impressive than they really were”. OKAY…but For those of us who knew Cliff Turner well, it would be very hard to make him sound more impressive than he really was.

Quite simply, Cliff Turner was a remarkable man, whose life was an amazing journey. His achievements are many, and his impact on those around him was immense.

That is not to say that Cliff was perfect, because like all of us, he had his imperfections. Cliff was blessed with intelligence, self-confidence, brashness’, common sense and a strong work ethic. He was the consummate negotiator, an entrepreneur at heart. It was the combination of these traits that made Cliff a formidable force in the business world.

But those same traits manifested negatively at times as well. Sometimes he could seem uncaring, he could be very blunt, he could say things that were not politically correct, he could be ornery and even downright nasty, and he certainly did not suffer fools lightly. But in everyone, you have to take the bad with the good. That was Cliff.

Today, I would like to tell you a bit about Cliff’s journey that spanned almost 95 years, and what I think made Cliff tick.

Cliff was born on July 29th, 1920 in the city of Hull, England, the 5th of 8 children of Henry and Eleanor Turner. Early on in elementary school, he realized that he was very smart, and also realized that others around him were not as smart as he. Self-awareness for Cliff came early, and manifested itself quickly.

Throughout his journey, Cliff embraced change, and believed in taking chances. Even at a young age, this was evident.

Cliff completed Grade 8 at the tender age of 14, and promptly entered the work force as an accountant’s assistant. He showed such promise in his job that he was offered a position to apprentice to become a full-fledged accountant at the firm he was working at. At the age of 15, Cliff had to make his first big decision. His parents fully supported him in becoming an accountant. So what did Cliff do… he told his boss that he hated accounting. And I have to tell you, whenever Cliff recounted this story to me, he did so with a twinkle in his eye!

In his late teens, Cliff was conscripted into World War II. Cliff wanted to be an airforce pilot, but discovered that his eyesight was not good enough. Weighing his alternatives, he decided to take a chance by trying to convince the Air force that he knew all about engines, even though he didn’t, just so that he could be in the airforce, and avoid being a foot soldier. His gamble paid off.

In 1938, at the age of 18, Cliff met Ethel Copley, a happy fun loving young gal that caught his eye. They spent time together for the first year or so of the war, and then Cliff took another gamble. At Christmas time, 1939, He told Lizzie that he couldn’t see her anymore, even though he loved her (mainly because in his own words, he was jealous of the attention she was getting from other servicemen). Happily, they reunited in early 1942 and got engaged and two months later they were married. Their relationship spanned 70 years, and bore the fruit known as Judy, Simon, Julian, Nigel, Amanda, and Jeremy.

After World War II, he took another chance, and with his beloved Liz and baby Judy in tow, he moved to South Africa in 1949 to start a new life in a new world. We are not talking about a 6 hour flight. We are taking about a multi week journey on a ship for all involved. (Talk about the times).

After 10 years as a very successful businessman in South Africa, he decided a change was in order again moved back to England to start a new company from scratch, called LINPAC.

10 years after that, when LINPAC was starting to develop into one of the leading packaging companies in the UK and Europe, he left LINPAC and moved his family lock, stock and barrel to Canada.

He took these chances and relished change because he believed in himself, he believed that he could make a difference in whatever he put his mind to, and because he was a visionary, a forward thinker who didn’t dwell on the past, or waste time in the present, but looked to the future to see what was next.

Throughout his journey, it is also very clear that Cliff was never satisfied with the status quo, if he felt the status quo was not up to his standards. He was always striving to improve things, to look forward instead of staying static. He didn’t just accept things as they were. He looked, he analyzed, he figured out ways to improve, and then he implemented. That is why he embraced change, when most others fear it.

In almost every job he had and in particular with LINPAC, he made it his priority to grow profits, or find the next great thing to sell, or to find the best piece of property to build the next production plant on. He was always striving to be better. This was never more evident than in his role with LINPAC. LINPAC was his baby, from the time he first co-established the company in 1959, to the time it was ultimately sold to the banks in the early 2000’s. He built it from within during the 60’s, and then nurtured it and its people from Canada in the 70’s and 80’s. Whether it be cardboard boxes or paper bag products, or ultimately plastic packaging, Cliff was the visionary who was instrumental in LINPAC’s growth to one of the biggest packaging companies in the world. (Mention the cardboard box at the front of the table).

One of Cliff’s pet peeves was income taxes. He hated the thought of paying income taxes. He would rather go buy a new business property to depreciate rather than pay taxes. In fact, it was his aversion to taxes that provided the impetus for his charitable endeavors. Cliff realized that instead of paying taxes, he could donate funds to offset the taxes, and in the meantime help the less privileged.

Cliff loved to learn, it was his hobby. Until the end, he was an avid reader of newspapers from around the world. His knowledge of politics, economics, and current events was astounding.

During World War II, he was given the job of trying to figure out why a particular airplane had crashed. We are talking about a person with a grade 8 education, and clearly had no engineering experience. He could have simply used the excuse of not having the experience or expertise to diagnose the situation. Instead, he researched and researched and tinkered with the aircraft until he figured out the cause of the crash. He would not quit until he knew everything he had to know about engines, aerodynamics, etc. He became such an expert in this area that he was made a crash scene investigator towards the end of the war, and became so accomplished in the area of engines that he rebuilt an entire car after the end of the war.

Later in life when I first came to know Cliff, long after he had retired from business, I was privileged to spend many hours with him hearing about his journey. Lord, could that man talk and talk and talk! It was during those times that I realized he had an amazing memory. He was quite the storyteller, as many of you know. He would mention names of people he met with over 60 years ago, and recount every detail of the conversations with those people. Just read his memoirs “Providential Prosperity” that he wrote when he was 89, and you will see what I mean. And yes I know that his stories got repetitive over time, but every once in a while you would hear a new story that was captivating, and that made the time spent with Cliff all the more worthwhile.

It was later in his life that his journey took a bit of a twist. Gone were the days when Cliff was focused on building product lines or even businesses. His attention turned to his family and to humanitarian efforts.

I truly believe that Cliff knew in his heart that, like so many fathers of his generation, he missed his own kids growing up because he was so busy with his career. After retiring, I think he tried to make amends in a variety of ways, by helping his family financially, by letting them get involved in the family business, and by trying to be a sounding board for them.

I think that in later life he also realized that he was a hardass at times, remembering that he did not suffer fools lightly. His penance for that…to provide financial assistance, guidance and advice to friends and acquaintances to help them live more comfortably.

Cliff evolved into a true humanitarian, and brought his business acumen to the charitable arena. After getting involved with a few charities in his 70’s, Cliff discovered that charities tended to have a sizable amount of administration, such that all donations did not go to the intended target. He didn’t like the status quo, so Cliff started the Turner Foundation, a foundation that provides water and education to children in a small community in Kenya called Mititi Andei. His mandate was that every dollar donated should go directly to the cause. With the help of Liz Hlooklof and Nyal Wilcox, Cliff’s dream of providing water and education to Aids Orphans in Africa has become a reality. I have had the privilege to visit Mititi Andei to see what the Turner Foundation has achieved, and I can tell you first hand that Cliff is revered by the people there for what has been accomplished. It is something that we should all be very proud of. As a testament to his determination, for health reasons, Cliff was never able to travel to Kenya to see the work that he had done, or to see the smiling faces of children in the classroom or drinking clean water. But that did not stop Cliff from doing everything in his power to accomplish the goals of the Turner Foundation. On receiving word of Cliff’s passing, we received the following message from Mtito Andei: “We cherish the gifts, presents, time and donation that have made Mtito Andei Community Project a living testimony of your loving kindness to children, and want today to make our prayers to the Cliff Turner family that the community of Mtito Andei will always remember this humble hero who single handed changed our lives”.

When someone passes away, the question is often asked as to what is the person’s legacy.

In Cliff’s case, it would be easy to say that his legacy is the spirit, focus, and work of the Turner Foundation, or the wealth that he created for his family. But equally important is what we can learn from Cliff’s journey. He showed us that it’s ok to take chances. He showed us that change should be embraced, not avoided. He showed us that the status quo should not just be accepted, but be analyzed and challenged. He showed us that life’s bumps in the road are just that, bumps in the road. His regrets reminds us that being there when our children are growing up is as important as building empires. Lastly, he demonstrated over and over again that if you put your mind to something, it can be accomplished. He did this during World War II, he did this in building LINPAC, and he showed us this with the accomplishments of the Turner Foundation.

Cliff passed away on April 11, 2015, at the young age of 94 and ¾’s, the husband of Liz, the father of 6 children, the grandfather of 12, the great grandfather of 6, and the friend of many.

He was a large presence in all our lives, and he is already sorely missed.

Devon Turner's Speech (his grandson)

I had quite a difficult time writing this, it’s a nearly impossible task to sum up a man like my grandfather, and how much he meant to me in a few short paragraphs.

I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time with grandpa in the weeks leading up to his passing. In that time I learnt more about who grandpa was as a person than at any other point in my life. For a child your grandfather is a powerful figure, always someone you’re excited to see and spend time with, someone who you can’t wait to tell about your latest accomplishments, and someone whose praise will make your spirits soar. Grandpa was all those things for me and that never changed as I grew up. The nice thing about growing up though is you get to see people from a different perspective. I didn’t just see him as my grandpa anymore, I saw him as Cliff the father, the friend, and the mentor and teacher as well now. I saw the way he impacted so many different people’s lives, all in a positive manner.

When my sister was about 4 years old, and Nan and Grandpa still lived on Ioco in Port Moody, my sister would take Grandpa back into his study and sit him down on one side of the coffee table and she would go sit on the other with a giant stack of his books, she would then proceed to try and sell them to him. He and Lex would barter over the price for a while, and once they settled on a price, grandpa would then give her too much money and try and get her to do the math and give him change back. This is inevitably led to her convincing him to give her all the change he had on him at the time. That’s one of my favorite memories of Grandpa, he was always so good with her and loved it when she would take him by the hand and lead him to her “bookstore” as she called it.

By trying to get my sister to give him change back he was trying to teach her, that was one of things I noticed most growing up about him. He was always ready with sound advice for whoever needed it, and you didn’t have to ask for it either. He had a solution to virtually any problem you could give him. I always knew I could find answers in him. He wasn’t just a brilliant man though, he was strong and proud as well. He was a fighter and never one to back down from anything. I think he was especially proud of his family and most of all his children. The way he spoke about his children, you could tell they brought him an immeasurable amount of joy.

Thomas Campbell said - “to live in hearts we leave behind is not to die”

While grandpa is gone from this world he remains in all of us. I see his brilliance, his vision, his strength, and his pride every day. I see it in my father, and my aunts and uncles. I see a little bit of him in all of us here. I aspire to take the best of him and make it my own. Thank you.

Martin Donner's Speech

CLIFF TURNER

Having known Cliff for about 35 years, I would like to share with you some of my thoughts and reflections on this wonderful man.

One might think it is difficult to be sad when a person dies at 94 years of age, after having lived a life rich with accomplishment and achievement, and who was admired and loved by so many. But, indeed I am sad for having lost Cliff, a man who was a true visionary, a great role-model and a sincere friend.

I do not believe it is hyperbole to say that to have known Cliff, was to have known greatness. To have known Cliff, was also to have known compassion, courage and selflessness. To have known Cliff was to have known a gracious person who lived a purposeful, principled life with a generous heart.

I wish all of you could have known the vibrant man I met many years ago.

Cliff was anything but passive. He was a doer of deeds. Like the man of whom Theodore Roosevelt spoke, Cliff was actually and often in the arena. He was there with great enthusiasm, spending himself on worthy causes. Cliff was not a spectator in life. He did not do anything half-heartedly. He was a very active and involved participant.

Cliff was like the man of whom George Bernard Shaw wrote. He refused to blame his circumstances. Rather, like the people who really make it in this world, Cliff looked for the circumstances he wanted, and if he couldn’t find them, he made them. That explains in part why he took his family to Africa, then back to England, and subsequently to Canada.

Part of what attracted people to Cliff was his love of conversation. Among my fondest memories of Cliff are the countless hours we spent engaged in conversation. It is no secret that Cliff generally had an opinion on everything. He actually liked having his opinions challenged, and he loved defending them. He also delighted in challenging my opinions. Whether it was politics, business, the economy or English Television, Cliff had thoughtful and interesting insights to share.

Cliff was also like the man of whom Kipling spoke. He could meet with “triumph and disaster and treat those two imposters just the same.” He “…could walk with Kings, yet not lose the common touch.”

To Cliff, life was not about what he could accumulate for himself. He was actually a humble man. To him, life was about what he could do for others, like the thousands of children in Kenya who have benefitted from the Turner Foundation.

Cliff was a man of principle and integrity, a man who stood for something, a man who truly made a difference. He was much loved and admired. His loss is immense to all those who knew and loved him.

A playwright once wrote that death may end a life, but not a relationship. Cliff remains alive in each of our hearts.

I know I am a much better person for having known him.

Before I close, I want to add that I cannot reflect on Cliff without remembering Liz, and the love and devotion they had for each other.

If I was asked to say what I thought was Cliff’s credo, I would say it was this: “What we think, or what we know, or what we believe, is in the end, of little consequence. All that matters in life is what we do.”

Martin D. Donner

May 8, 2015

Don Elkington's Speech

Good afternoon

For those who don’t know me I am a neighbour and friend of the Turner family and honoured to have been a friend of Cliff’s.

The weekend before Cliff’s passing I had the fortune to say goodbye to my friend and it was a good visit.

I didn’t know that afternoon that when Cliff said; “God Bless - friend”, see you up there, I’ll be waiting for you, that a goodbye could mean so much.

‎Today, saying farewell, leaves an empty place in us all.

Today we bid farewell to a great man; a Father, a grandfather and a good friend.

11 years ago, thanks to my friend Jeremy, I met a strong willed, very independent, true entrepreneur; a man whom I was very fortunate to have meet and soon after that first Sunday morning; became very fond of and certainly mentored.

One would argue whether Cliff was indeed the world’s greatest salesman or simply a great entrepreneur; I say both.

In the purest sense, entrepreneurs are those who identify a need—any need—independent of product, service, industry or market.

This is the true essence of entrepreneurship: Define, invest, build, and repeat.

I’m pretty sure true entrepreneurship can’t be taught.

I do know; since the day I met Cliff, he encouraged us all to learn and to be engaged.

We celebrate your life today, Cliff Turner.

You had almost 95 years on God’s earth.

Born in the early beginnings of one century in the UK and leaving us in the next century, here in Canada with so many countries and continents in-between, over those many years, leaving long lasting memories and friends like me, worldwide; your purpose has been fulfilled.

I have to be grateful that I am able to celebrate my own fathers 94th birthday this Sunday and that I have been able to share in his memories, of a life and an era, that he shared with Cliff.

The people of that time are sewn from a different cloth, forged from a different world, but they have offered us so much of their life experience to learn and live by and for that I am honored.

Cliff listened to me intently when we spoke.

He would analyze and with thoughtful rhetoric; try to solve whatever problems I was having.

Cliff gave me an Atlas with maps of England years ago and mapped out the areas that he thought my customers should occupy as a territory; giving great thought to the logic behind the decision.

He was an intelligent and thoughtful business man with a sharp and analytical approach to every business move. I hung on his words and his wisdom. They were time tested.

He had been there, done that. Wise and savvy.

Cliff was always thinking business. It invigorated him.

Our talks were special as we were like 2 business men, where age had no meaning.

Our exchange was timeless. We spoke the same language.

I remember the phone calls we had that went on for an hour or more on a weekend afternoon.

Our relationship was built on equality and trust. Mutual respect and admiration.

Jeremy and Joanne were so instrumental in encouraging the relationship between Cliff and I. They saw how it stimulated him and knew how much it meant to me. We had so much to share.

Cliff constantly reminded me to get organized for my retirement and future; he was so worried about that.

I will never forget the life lessons and the caring conversations between us.

His gift will live in my heart and has helped to shape me as I move through business and life.

Cheers my friend. Mr. Cliff Turner.

May 8th, 2015

Amanda Girling's Speech (his youngest daughter)

Thank you for coming today. For those of you who may not know me I'm cliffs youngest daughter Amanda.

It doesn't matter how long your parents are with you in my mind it's never long enough. We were blessed to have poppa with us for almost 95 years. Which if you consider the circumstances it's over 50 years longer than he was expected to be with us. He really was amazing. He had his first heart attack when I was about 7 or 8 years old and he wasn't expected to make it through the night. So many memories and such a life and family he and mom created.

Those of us who lived and interacted with poppa on a regular basis heard his stories over and over so forgive me pop, it did get boring but for those who didn't, he was a wealth of information and a life well lived. People loved talking to him and oh poppa you did love talking! He always had an opinion on everything, was knowledgeable about most things and always wanted to help people no matter what! I can't remember the number of times I heard him say my daughter Amanda will help you do so and so, he used to rope me in all the time to help. So I think our family comes by it naturally we inherited the helping genes from both dad and mom. Looking back and knowing now I'm not going to hear him tell those stories, or he rope me in one more time, brings me such sadness and I wish things would be different.

Dad used to tell me a story about my time in South Africa. He said we had a special bond that got formed when mom used to hold me in the window waiting for him to come home from work. As soon as I saw him, my face would light up and he said he could always see that smile and remember. He and I had a very special bond, I have been through a great deal with him over the years, so it was very bittersweet that I wasn't with him he when passed away. I'm hoping he didn't know, but if I was a betting women and those who know me, yep he knew!

We have been very fortunate as a family, dads work in earlier years resulted in prosperity. And as most of you know he wrote his book entitled Providential Prosperity. Well to be clear Liz Hlookoff wrote it after spending many hours with dad after mom died. We thought he needed a project so he wouldn't miss his love of almost 70 years. So he got through this book and I know a good number of you have read it. But he was getting bored again we brought Liz in again to help him write the sequel. I guess Liz we are going to have to finish it now and write the ending!

So many stories, the time on their 25th anniversary in 1967 the four of us were still at home Simon and Judy had moved away and he gave us each a pound note. My we thought we were rich. The times we toured around England in a caravan, in particular when we lost a hub cap, and simon and dad went to look for it, Dad got hit by a motorcycle, ended up in the ditch with a broken wrist. Think si or mom had to drive us home that time. The summers we spent in Ulrome a seaside resort just outside of bridlington. Dad used to drive us up with the caravan then go back to work and come up on weekends. The times he took us all to Hawaii when we were all in our 20s so many memories.

He was very generous not only with his family but his extended family and friends, if he wasn't sending them on a holiday, or giving out money he was doling out advice and guidance. Let's not forget the time the two Thai girls showed up at his door he had met them on a cruise or Minodora! Who he and mom also met on a cruise, and he helped her with all the information for her to immigrate to Canada and she lived with them for a while. Gracey and family. I know he touched yoru lives deeply. I could go on but these are just a few examples.

Neil has touched on the wonderful lives he has changed for the better through the turnerfoundation. And he literally had and will continue to impact their lives long after he has gone.

One last story, Poppa you would have like this one, your wheelchair has gone to a complete stranger, but how fitting it’s a young teenage girl called Emily. Her Mom was struggling one day to push her in a wheelchair in Steveston, Jem and Jo were there saw this ran to find her and offer the wheelchair to her. Parents and Emily were delighted and very grateful. See I told you we inherited the helping gene!!!

I have tried to write this for the past three weeks and I've written it in my mind many times through the various One last story, Poppa you would have like this one, your wheelchair has gone to a complete stranger, but how fitting it’s a young teenage girl called Emily. Her Mom was struggling one day to push her in a wheelchair in Steveston, Jem and Jo were there saw this ran to find her and offer the wheelchair to her. Parents and Emily were delighted and very grateful. See I told you we inherited the helping gene!!!

mad scramble on the plane coming home. Only to have mike remind me don't make it too long with too many stories. You are the last one speaking.

So I'm going to bring it to a close. On behalf of my very patient and loving husband mike, my wonderful family, Jude ! Si, Jule, Nige and jem and their respective partners in life and all their children and their children, thank you for coming today.

I know Pop would also want me to mention Cindy, Alice, Neil and Nyal, thank you for all your love and support. I can’t forget Ann, who just keeps coming back into our lives and who helped us care for both Mom and Poppa throughout their illness. You made it a little easier.

To jem and Jo as a family we owe you so much, you cared for mom and dad unfailingly and without reservation and for that we are so thankful and can never repay you. Jorgie, you always had my back, thank you for taking care of everything. When Jem brought you back into our lives who would have known the impact, the love and the care you have so selflessly given our parents. You are an angel and no you are not going to hell quite the opposite Sister!

The last few months have been hard on us, pop did not go easy he fought all the way but throughout it we had lots of laughs, tears and who can forget "minute" as we tried to lift him up and support him while he caught his breath! All the baths he took all the ones we tried to talk him out of! The nights we spent with him because he would get up in the middle of the night to have a bath. Right up until he lost consciousness he didn't believe he was dying, as I said he didn't go easy!

Poppa I am going to miss you so much, coming home has been so hard because you are not there. Going into your place last night was overwhelming. I missed the click click of your wheelchair. It was so empty. You are not there to ask a million questions about the countries we visited and hear about this experiences we had. I won't be spending every day or even every second day with you. No more minutes!

I believe that you now have all the answers you were looking for poppa your journey has ended in this life and you are continuing on with momma I trust in the next. I can only hold onto the belief.

With all my love, I promise with our family to carry on what you started, I hope you are listening and looking down on us. You have left a big hole and very large shoes to fill. Remember I'm looking out that window with a huge smile on my face to welcome you home come visit me sometime poppa bring Momma, I love you both very much and I miss you very much.

Life will not be the same.

May 8, 2015

* * * * * * * * * *

Turner, Clifford

July 29, 1920 – April 11, 2015

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, grandfather and great grandfather Cliff Turner on April 11, 2015.

Poppa was born on July 29, 1920 in Hull, Yorkshire, England. His beloved wife of 67 years, Lizzie passed in 2009. Left behind to celebrate his life and missing him are his 6 children, 12 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren, respective spouses, his sister Toppy and his many friends.

One of 8 children, Poppa was always a bit of a rebel and certainly had an entrepreneurial spirit. After serving in World War II, he moved to South Africa to seek fame and fortune, then back to England in 1959. He was the last surviving founder of the UK based packaging firm, Linpac.

In 1970 he moved our family to Canada and never looked back. Poppa was the proverbial comeback king, surviving two major heart attacks, the loss of mom, and countless falls and setbacks. This last time was just too much, as his time had come.

Poppa has had a profound impact on so many lives. He created the Turner Foundation, a charitable organization which provides water and education to children and families in Kenya, Africa. He was a force to be reckoned with and he will be missed.

A Celebration of Life will be held on May 8, at 1:00 pm, at Victory Memorial Park Funeral Centre, 14831 28th Avenue in Surrey, B.C.

In lieu of flowers we ask you to make a donation to the Turner Foundation, (www.turnerfoundation.ca), so we can continue his humanitarian efforts and honor his wishes