Christopher "Colonel" J. Turner

Born on December 11, 1970, Chris spent his childhood being a kid, riding Big Wheels up and down the street and loving his Fonzie shirt. Chris attended St. Louis King of France and was a proud graduate of Archbishop Rummel High School in 1988. He and his family moved to Bucktown in 1985, and his friendships flourished till today. He enlisted in the US Army in 1988 and spent three years on active duty with an honorable discharge in December 1997. He was extremely proud of his service to his country.

Chris treasured the friends he met through school, Bucktown and the Army.

In 1995, he met Shannon and they married in 2004. While dating Shannon, he began working at Beads by the Dozen and became the Operations Manager. Chris was very meticulous in his work ethic and was very friendly to all that he met. He joined the Krewe of Endymion and met many who loved working with him. He was a big help to Endymion, Eve, Irish Italians, Italian Americans and numerous other krewes who loved working with Chris.

Chris loved spending time in his workshop, and he loved custom fishing rod building for his family and friends. He was a master of any trade and endeavor he attempted. He was a skilled carpenter, nature photographer, wood worker, and an artist with every medium he attempted. He was a collector of nostalgia, and he was also known to play his acoustic guitar around any fire with his friends. He was so proud of his GTO that he spent years restoring with his father.

He loved the outdoors, working in the yard, watching hummingbirds, bird watching from his backyard swing and tending to his monarch butterflies.

Chris was preceded in death by his grandmothers and grandfathers, James and Theresa Wilson and Euris and Beulah Turner.

He is survived by his loving wife Shannon, and his devoted and loving parents, his mother Charlene and his father Leon, stepmother Peggy, and his sister Amy.

He was incredibly humble and generous to everyone he met. He was a fiercely loyal, devoted friend, and a precious soul taken way too soon. His absence leaves a massive void on the lives of all who knew and loved him.

Services will be held on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at Lake Lawn Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. New Orleans, La. Visitation is from 11AM - 1PM, with services to follow. Burial will be at Cypress Grove Cemetery, 120 City Park Avenue, New Orleans, La.

In lieu of flowers, please donate in Chris’s name to the Wounded Warrior Project.