Dr. John Everett Turrentine

Dr. Turrentine was a graduate of North Fulton High School in Atlanta. He was the focus of the TV series, “It’s A Miracle” documenting a miraculous survival and recovery from a life-threatening accident during his high school years. In the episode, after surviving the crash, he was never supposed to have walked again yet he helped start the “running fad” and the first Peachtree Road Race. Dr. Turrentine later received a BS in Natural Sciences from Shorter University. He performed research for the National Institute of Health at the University of Georgia in Graduate Studies. He also studied at the Georgia Institute of Technology where he studied biochemistry, philosophy and ethics. During this time period he became a Certified Surgical Technician. In this capacity, he served in a British Mercenary Army in Mozambique, Africa during the Portuguese attempt to maintain colonization during the War for Independence there.

Dr. Turrentine was an avid pilot and scuba diver throughout his life. He was rated to fly various types of aircraft including gliders and seaplanes. As a scuba diver, he held over thirty-five ratings including technical diver, rebreather, and instructor for stress & rescue, ice, cave, and heli-diver. In this capacity, he spent once or twice a year for a week at a time for several years as a consultant for the Navy teaching submarine escape under the ice, north of Barrow, Alaska. He also traveled extensively for over thirty years with Dr. Michael Bernhardt to perform underwater photography throughout the world. Dr. Turrentine was also an avid runner, Masters swimmer, and hiker throughout his life.

On February 5, 1979; Dr. Turrentine obtained an M.D from the Medical College of Georgia and prior to doing his internship, he flew Aircraft in Central America delivering much needed supplies to the Contras, helping to eventually defeat the left wing FSLN (Sandinista National Liberation Front). After recovering from injuries due to a forced landing over the Nicaraguan-Honduran border, Dr. Turrentine then completed his internship at Los Angeles County Women’s Hospital at University of Southern California. He became a diplomate of the National Board of Medical Examiners. Turrentine then completed an Ob/Gyn residency at Atlanta Medical Center (previously Georgia Baptist Medical Center). He practiced Ob/Gyn, Surgery, and performed his own Anesthesia for over thirty years in both North Carolina and Georgia. Dr. Turrentine was Board Certified by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. He became a Fellow and Diplomate of ACOG. In this capacity, Dr. Turrentine coined the term and created “Minimally Invasive Vaginal Hysterectomy (MIVH).” MIVH was first ever published in his textbooks, “Clinical Protocols in Ob/Gyn” 2nd edition, “Surgical Transcriptions and Pearls in Obstetrics and Gynecology” 2nd Edition, and further described 5 years later in the Clinical Protocols 3rd Edition in 2008 as the most minimally invasive method to perform a hysterectomy. Dr. Turrentine taught MIVH throughout the United States through Johnson & Johnson Endosurgery, Inc. and helped develop the instruments to be used in the procedure. This procedure allowed a hysterectomy to be performed in just 5 to 20 minutes and allowed for much less pain and faster recovery. He received many awards from Cambridge University and other citations for his contribution to minimally invasive surgical techniques and bioethics. Dr. Turrentine also published five medical books, “Clinical Protocols in Obstetrics and Gynecology” first, second, and third editions and “Surgical Transcriptions and Pearls in Obstetrics and Gynecology” first and second editions. Dr. Turrentine always enjoyed helping his patients deliver their babies. During his career, he delivered over 13,000 babies from Los Angeles, to Atlanta, to the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, North Georgia, and many third world countries during mission trips.

During his active practice, Dr. Turrentine spent four years flying to Trinity Seminary and the University of Liverpool where he was awarded a Doctor of Ministry in 2004. Dr. Turrentine was ordained by Faith Christian Fellowship Church, Inc. in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He used this degree to set up mission trips for Operation Touch and performed marriages, funerals, baptisms, and was a guest preacher at many churches throughout the Carolinas and Georgia.

Because of his interests in history, Dr. Turrentine obtained a PhD in history in 2014. Dr. Turrentine will be remembered in this capacity by thousands of students and historians that he portrayed heroic characters in history to bring the different periods of history alive. He began his work as Paul Revere for the Sons of the American Revolution performing for hundreds of elementary schools. He was active in the Dalton Chapter and later the Marshes of Glynn Chapters of the SAR where he served several terms as President in both chapters, Chairman of the Educational Outreach Committee, and the State of Georgia Regional Vice President. He later played Elijah Clarke as a character for Georgia History for Middle Schools, Historic Societies, and Universities. Eventually he portrayed C.E. Lining M.D. and General Robert E. Lee bringing Southern history alive. He also portrayed Ensign George Gay at the Battle of Midway many times bringing WWII history alive. Dr. Turrentine combined his knowledge of Theology and History to publish the book, “Defining the Founding Fathers and their Spirituality Examined.”

Dr. Turrentine completed a Masters of Medical Management and Leadership then received an MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas at age 68. In this capacity, Dr. Turrentine developed an extensive nationwide Covid telehealth network while also practicing an adult and pediatric practice. In this capacity, he developed 18 different protocols to help combat the covid pandemic.

Dr. Turrentine was a member of multiple honor societies including Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society, Golden Key International Honor Society, Who’s Who in American Universities and Colleges, Alliance for Physicians Healthcare Leadership and Management, Beta Gamma Sigma International Business Honor Society, and the Phi Alpha Theta Historical Honor Society. He has received awards from Cambridge, England for the advancement of Minimally Invasive Surgery in the field of Ob/Gyn. He also received honors from Cambridge, England for Meritorious Decoration for Outstanding Contribution to Biomedical Ethics. He received multiple historical awards such as the Silver Roger Sherman Award and multiple service awards from multiple historical societies. He remained an active member of the SAR (Sons of the American Revolution) and SCV (Sons of Confederate Veterans) throughout his life.

He always told anyone that would listen that his children were his primary concern in life. He moved to North Carolina to a small town for the primary reason that it had the second highest rated school system in the state. He wanted to raise his children to be “Christian, independent, and conservative in that order.” Immediately surviving him is his wife, Candace Weatherby Turrentine. Also surviving him are his sons, daughters and grandchildren; Jake Everett Turrentine MD, Joseph Dempsey Turrentine JD, Mary Anne Turrentine and Polly Jean Awe. Step children: Abigail Bentley Kays, and George Edward Bentley. Grandchildren are Luke Everett, Paul Charles, Mary Beth, Ruth Anne, Dempsey, and Jackson Turrentine, Luke, Carter, Hudson, Ella, Kade, Jackson, Mason, and Olivia. Other children are Leddie Rodrigue and Michael Goode PhD, with eight more grandchildren and a great grandchild. Also surviving him are his brothers; Thomas Neal, Robert Allen, and William Frederick Turrentine. Dr. Turrentine was the second son of Dr. Paul Everett and Betty Ann Turrentine, who preceded him in death in 1994 and 2005 respectively.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the SAR or SCV via P.O. 20001; St. Simons Island, Georgia 31522.