Obituary of David Ellis TURNER

TURNER, David Ellis November 19, 1939 – September 21, 2013 David went to be with the Lord at 5:10 a.m. at the Strathmore Hospital on Saturday, September 21, 2013. David Ellis Turner was born to Ellis and Ada Turner on a snowy and windy day, November 19, 1939. Unable to get to a hospital due to weather conditions, he was born at the home of his Aunt Dorothy Bittle in Langdon. David was the fourth of five children; Lou (Ann), Len (deceased), Verda (Henry), and Donna (Warren). The family lived on a farm west of Carstairs and David received all of his formal education in the Carstairs schools. He was active in the Boy Scouts, the youth group of Crossfield Baptist Church, and the Carstairs 4H club. As kids, his Mom would gather the family around the piano for good old family “hymn sings”. As a result, David developed a real lifelong love of singing. He was able to render a very good imitation of Elvis Presley. In his teenage years he would “cruise” Friday nights with his sister, Verda, and they would sing (probably at the top of their lungs) all the way to Crossfield or Didsbury and Olds, and then all the way back home again. Singing was a passion he nurtured throughout his life until his voice became too weak to continue. All of his family and friends will have good memories of David singing hymns and popular songs during his life. After graduation, David began working at the Bank of Commerce in High River, and later was transferred to Vulcan. David then moved to Calgary and began his career in the insurance business, eventually starting his own company, Action Insurance. David also taught night school insurance courses at Mount Royal College. He married Rosalie Clark in 1963 and they had 3 children; son Jim; and daughters Christy and Lesley. David and Shirra married in 1991 and David welcomed Shirra’s son, Chuck, to his family. David had 8 grandchildren; Jim and Lisa’s children Jessica, Becky, Jenna, and Melissa; Chuck’s children Sage and Zoe; and Lesley’s children Nolan and Madelaine. His family was a very important part of his life. Having previously lived in Calgary, and then Didsbury on an acreage, David and his family agreed on moving to the Strathmore area after he joined the Countryside Insurance Agencies/Western Financial Group as a Manager. They built their retirement home on a four acre piece of land near Carseland. When David was diagnosed with Parkinson’s (Shy Draeger), he and his wife moved into the town of Strathmore. David loved travelling and they went on several cruises until he was no longer able to travel. At the annual Dye reunions, (the maternal side of his family), he organized the children’s activities, games, and races for many years until his health failed. He continued to faithfully attend the reunions until this summer (2013) when he was no longer mobile enough to travel. David had a wonderful sense of humor and would often bring on a good laugh with his wry comments. We were blessed with his humor right to the end. David loved to golf and, until physically unable to continue, he enjoyed working on his game. He enjoyed the outdoors, singing, and playing cards with friends. David loved to sing Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, gospel songs and hymns. It was evident he sang “from the heart”. He was also well known by family, close friends and our Bible Study group as an excellent baker of pies. David’s favorite expression for cooking was “if you can read the recipe, you can cook it.” He was a strong and faithful companion who was always there for his wife Shirra, especially during her open heart surgery and recovery period. The church was always a very important part of David’s life and he was a faithful member at the Strathmore Alliance Church. David loved his Lord and never despaired of his lifetime being cut short as he always knew where he was going. David showed integrity, honesty and caring throughout his life. He was a wonderful husband, father, uncle, brother and grandfather. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him including his dog, Shade. A big “thank you” to Dr. Emile Muller, Dr. Runawaya (Parkinson’s specialist), and our wonderful friends for all the help and guidance while David was fighting his illness. A memorial service will be held Saturday, October 5, 2013 at Strathmore Alliance Church at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, please send donations directly to the Parkinson’s Society of Canada (316-4211 Yonge St, Toronto, Ontario, M2P 2A9) or the Alzheimer’s Society of Calgary (201, 222 – 58 Ave. S.W., Calgary, Alberta, T2H 2S3). To send condolences, please visit www.wheatlandfuneralhome.ca. Send Condolences