Judge William E. and Dolores G. Turnage

Judge William E Turnage, Retired Senior Judge, Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, died March 14, 2023 in Jacksonville, Florida. He was predeceased by his wife, Dolores G Turnage, October 4, 2020 in Jacksonville, FL. Both were longtime residents of Liberty, MO.

William Erwin Turnage was born August 6, 1924 in Liberty, MO to the Rev. William F and Elizabeth Turnage. Following the untimely death of Rev. Turnage in 1933, the family moved to Excelsior Springs, MO. William attended the Excelsior Springs schools and was a 1942 graduate of Excelsior Springs High School, where he lettered in track and field and participated in debate and history activities. Following high school graduation, he enrolled in William Jewell College, where he was a student until his draft into the US Army in World War II in 1943. He served as a clerk typist in the medical unit assigned to Gen. William Simpson’s Ninth Army and received the European Campaign medal with 3 bronze stars for his service.

Following his discharge from the Army, he resumed his college studies and earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from William Jewell College in 1947. He then enrolled in the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, MO and earned a Juris Doctor degree in 1950. While in law school, he met Dolores G Herron, and they were married June 21, 1952. William then served as an assistant prosecutor for Clay County, MO for 2 years then opened his law office in 1954. In about 1955, he formed the Law Office of Sevier and Turnage with partner Robert F. Sevier. The firm engaged in a wide range of misdemeanor criminal and civil representation for clients in the greater Liberty and Kansas City area. In 1955, William also received a commission as a First Lieutenant in the US Air Force Reserve, Judge Advocate General Division, primarily providing legal services to Air Force personnel in Missouri. In 1966, William ran unsuccessfully for Circuit Judge of Clay County, MO and continued working at his law firm until his appointment as Judge, Missouri Court of Appeals, by Governor Christopher Bond in 1974.

In 1975, he officially retired from the Air Force Reserve at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He served as a judge of the appeals court, including 2 terms as chief judge, until his retirement in 1994. He then embarked on a career as a senior judge in Missouri, serving both Circuit and Appeals courts, until he finally retired from the bench in August 2009. Following full retirement, William and Dolores moved to Jacksonville, Florida to be near their grandchildren. In addition to professional legal work, William served as a Trustee of William Jewell College from 1962 to 2007, and served as the president of the board for many years. He was also a deacon at Second Baptist Church, Liberty, MO and served on the boards of a number of Baptist organizations. He was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity. He was a lifelong Baptist and member of several different congregations.

Dolores Gwen (Herron) Turnage was born February 6, 1928 to Gammon and Earl Herron in Madisonville, KY. Following the economic hardship of the Great Depression, the family moved to Evansville, IN, where she graduated from Central High School in 1945. She then enrolled in William Jewell College in 1945 before deciding to embark on a nursing career. She enrolled in the Barnes Hospital nursing school in 1946 and became a registered nurse in 1948. Following marriage to William Turnage June 21, 1952, the couple established a home in Liberty, MO. Dolores worked as a registered nurse at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, MO, eventually becoming the Director of Nursing in the mid-1950s.

After taking time off from full time work to raise her family, Dolores resumed her nursing career in 1973 as an emergency room nurse at Menorah Medical Center. She continued in that role until she moved to full time work with Dr. Steven Waldman in his pain management practice until her retirement in the early 1990s. During her work in pain management, she became one of the founding members of the American Society of Pain Management nurses. In addition to professional nursing work, Dolores served in numerous roles in many civic and school organizations. She was a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority. She was a lifelong Baptist and member of several different congregations.

The couple is survived by two children, William Sherman Turnage, MD (Kendra), of St. Augustine, FL and Neal Webster Turnage of Malibu, CA; three grandchildren: Staff Sergeant Arielle Elizabeth (Turnage) Mitchell (Robert), US Army, Grafenwöhr, Germany; Joshua Wesley William Turnage and Gabrielle Ann Dolores Turnage, St. Augustine, FL; and one great-grandson, William Anthony Mitchell. A Memorial Session of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, honoring Judge Turnage will be held August 4, 2023 at 10 am at the Missouri Court of Appeals courthouse, 1300 Oak St, Kansas City, MO.

A memorial service honoring Judge William E and Dolores G Turnage will be held August 5, 2023 at the Grand River Chapel on the William Jewell College campus. Visitation will be from 9-10 am at the chapel with the service starting at 10 am, officiated by Rev. William Prather. Following the memorial service, burial of their cremated remains will occur at the Crowley Cemetery, Rayville, MO. Memorial contributions may be made to the Dolores Gwen Turnage Scholarship at Pepperdine University 24255 Pacific Coast Highway Malibu, CA 90263; Attn Austin McEarth.