Allen Eugene Turner

Gene Turner- loving Husband, Dad, Grandpa, Brother and Uncle; faithful Christian and WW2 veteran raised his arms toward heaven as he passed away at age 95 Friday, July 10, joining his “sweetheart” wife, Juanita, and those who preceded him in death – sisters Thelma Oliver & “Polly” Funderburk; close relatives Paul & Dot Coffey, Bobby & Sandy Averitt.
He left middle school to work and support his family, then joined the Navy after Pearl Harbor at age 17. He operated a landing craft and manned guns in the South Pacific (Solomon Islands, Guadacanal, New Caledonia, Savoy Island, Bougainville, Palau Islands, Leyte Gulf in the Philippines, and Okinawa). He had malaria nine times and was so close to death many times during the war. His craft was barely missed by an exploding Japanese Kamikaze plane; once his craft was bombed with 20 killed and 60 wounded; and once falling in the mud unable to get to a foxhole with bombs hitting all around. His life was radically changed by Jesus Christ after the war as he started a family, worked at Chris Craft, Glidden Paint, Lookout Supply, and Sears. He loved growing tomatoes, watching Andy Griffith and Braves baseball, painting, making and giving away hundreds of his beloved bookmarks, being a greeter at the back door of Battlefield Parkway Church of the Nazarene, and for these last six years a member of Signal Mountain Nazarene.
Gene is survived by his two sons, Jack (Tori) Turner and Terry (Jackie) Turner; brother, David (Hazel) Turner; sister, Peggy (Maurice) Bandy; grandchildren, Jake Turner, Katie (Lyle) Saylor; Shelley (Steve) Walta; great grandchildren, Caden Saylor, Brooklyn & Jackson Walta; and many nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be at Battlefield Parkway Church of the Nazarene, Ft. Oglethope, GA at 11 a.m., July 20th with Visitation 10-11 a.m. at the church as well.
Arrangements by Heritage Funeral Home & Crematory, Battlefield Parkway.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.