Jimmy O. Turner

Retired Lieutenant Colonel USAF Jimmy Otho Turner, of Austin, Texas, went peacefully into the everlasting arms of God on the morning of May 8th, 2021. Born in Denton, Texas October 12, 1930 to Mary Hall and Bob Turner, Jimmy moved to San Marcos with his mother and brother, Carl. He loved growing up there, where he enjoyed summers playing in the San Marcos River and working one of his first jobs as a caddy, where he developed a lifelong love of golf and swimming. After graduating high school in 1948, Jim attended Southwest Texas State Teachers College, majoring in chemistry before applying for aviation cadet training for the United States Air Force. He had become a 1st Lieutenant by the time he met his wife, Leila Beryl Turner where she worked at The Officer’s Club in Salina, Kansas. For their first date, she invited him to play golf in the February snow; he accepted. They married on his birthday, October 12, 1957, and immediately moved to Spain to follow Jim’s military career. Their son, William, was born in Seville in 1958 and their daughter, Lea, at Bossier Base in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1961. Shortly thereafter, Jim was stationed in Abilene, Texas. In 1966 they moved to Austin, where they had their third and final child, Teresa, in 1972. While serving his country in Vietnam, he was stationed in Diem with Army's Big Red One where he created and ran tactical air support for the infantry. Jim earned the Air Medal, Bronze Star and the Air Force Commendation Medal and he was congratulated in a letter from Congressman J. J. Pickle who wrote that Jim had disregarded his own life for the benefit of his fellowmen and that he was certain that apart from the awards, “within his own heart Jim has a much deeper satisfaction knowing that he has accomplished a task that was beyond the call of duty.”

Jimmy’s children remember him as a good example of God's love and faithfulness, caring for those he loved without fail. He was an entrepreneur with integrity and initiative who started an insurance company after his time in the USAF. He was approachable: you could always go to him. His grandchildren remember learning to fish, gathering and cracking open pecans in Granny and Grandpa's enormous backyard, reading the “funnies” or Sunday comics, vacations at the beach, and how he consistently attended their sporting events. He loved to tell jokes and was very involved.

This beloved husband, father, and grandpa was preceded in death by his wife Leila, mother Mary Hall, father Bob Turner, step father Tom Hall, and brother Carl Turner. He is survived by his son William Turner, his daughters Lea Whatley and Teresa Crone (Stephan), grandchildren Olivia Miller, Isaac, Rebekah, Jerusha, Malachi, Jedidiah, and Asher Crone, Darby Neely (Brett), Haley and Turner Whatley, who is expecting Jimmy’s first great grandchild with his wife, Hailey.

Viewing will be Tuesday, May 11th 6-8p at Cook-Walden Davis Funeral Home (Georgetown, Texas) and the funeral will be Wednesday, May 12th at 1p at San Marcos City Cemetery.