Kathyrn Jo Turner

Kathyrn Jo Holland Turner was raised by her parents, TJ and Maxine Holland in the beautiful ranching community of Meeker, Colorado. She attended Meeker High School and was involved in many academics and activities including cheerleading, band, choir and drama. She graduated with honors in 1965. Kathy then attended Colorado State University, joined Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, and became a Cheerleader in her freshman year. In her senior year, Kathy was selected as Miss Colorado State University going on the become Miss Congeniality at the States Beauty Contest. She graduated from CSU in 1969 with a B.A. in Education. In 1995 she was honored as the “Distinguished Alumnus for the School of Liberal Arts.”

On December 28, 1969 on a cold winter day in Meeker Kathy married one of her sororities “house boys,” Navy Ensign Gerry Turner, and began her “Navy Wife career” in Pensacola, Florida where Gerry was on active-duty attending Aviation Officer Training. In 1973 Navy F-4 Pilot and Training Instructor, Lieutenant and Mrs. Turner returned to Denver, CO. After joining the Navy Reserves and 25 years as an Intelligence Officer, Navy Captain Turner retired in August 1999 as the Area Commander of Joint Reserve Intelligence for the Southwest States.

Kathy began building her career in retail with May D&F (now Macys); and moved to Long Beach, CA to work at the Broadway Stores and Carter Hawley Hale the sixth-largest department chain firm in the United States. Kathy started as a Department Manager in Foundations, and then promotions to Assistant Buyer, Buyer, Assistant Store Manager, Store Manager and Assistant to the Vice President of Stores, Vice President of Training and Communications and onto a Corporate Executive Recruiter.

Seeing a “glass ceiling” at Carter Hawley Hale, Kathy and her co-worker Barbara Helstrom, founded Helstom Turner & Associates (HTA) specializing in Executive Recruiting for Retail Stores with five offices on the West and East coasts. After a very successful fourteen years, Kathy and her partner sold HTA to Korn Ferry, one of the largest recruiting and management consulting firms headquartered in Los Angeles operating in 111 offices in 53 countries employing 8,198 people worldwide. During the transition of HTA to Korn Ferry, Kathy was Managing Director of Global Retail.

While living in Los Angeles, Kathy was very active in community service to include: The first woman to serve as President of the Rotary Club of Los Angeles; the first woman Chair of the Board of Directors for Goodwill Industries of Southern California and Inland Empire; the first woman Chair of the Board of Directors for the Salvation Army of Greater Metropolitan Los Angeles whose Mission was “Others.” Kathy also served as a Member of the Board of Directors for the Orthopedic Hospital Foundation of Los Angeles and Meals on Wheels.

Kathy was charismatic and exhibited passionate leadership and social relationships. She received many leadership and individual awards for her business and community service. The Mayor of Los Angeles presented Kathy and Gerry with a Certificate of Appreciation for “. . . more than 25 years of community service . . . and are Treasures of Los Angeles.” Kathy and Gerry retired to Colorado Springs, CO in October 2014 to be closer to their respective families in Florence and Denver.

Kathy Turner had been diagnosed with Vascular Dementia and peacefully passed away to be with the Lord God on May 21, 2026. Her parents preceded her in death. She is survived by her husband Gerry Turner and sister Sally Merriam of Florence, CO.