JACK M. TURNER's Obituary
Judge Jack M. Turner, born January 8, 1921 in Baltimore, passed away January 2, 2016. When Jack was a child his family moved to Homestead and spent summers on the Virginia Eastern Shore. He graduated from Redland High School in 1938 and Duke University in 1942. His plans to attend medical school were sidetracked by the outbreak of World War II during his senior year of college and Jack enlisted in the US Army Air Corps. He took part in pilot training at numerous bases around the country until being grounded by color blindness. He attained the rank of sergeant and spent the bulk of the war working in headquarters at Hickam Field, Honolulu, Hawaii. With a backlog of returning military veterans from the war, Jack faced a delay in entering medical school and decided to attend law school. He graduated in 1948 from Duke University School of Law and entered private practice in Miami. He met his future wife Rita Sprankle at a Redland High basketball game where her father was head coach. The newlyweds settled in South Miami and Jack opened a law office in downtown South Miami. In 1963 Jack was elected to the Dade County Municipal Court where he served until he was appointed to the Criminal Court which eventually merged with the Circuit Court. During his career on the bench, Judge Turner served as chief judge of the Criminal Court, and retired at the mandatory retirement age 70 in 1991. Upon retirement from the bench, Jack entered private practice as a legal mediator and served as a special master for the Circuit Court.Jack served on the board of the Coral Gables United Methodist Church and was a member of various other civic organizations.Jack is survived by his wife of 64 years, Rita; sons Jack Jr. (Christine) of Tallahassee and Steven (Lisa) of Coral Gables; and grandchildren Elizabeth Ann, John Christopher (Rachel) and John Randolph (Samantha). He was preceded in death by his parents Charles and Julia, brother Charles, and sister Judy DeMilly. A visitation will be held on Friday, January 8, 2016, from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm with a service to follow beginning at 7:00 pm at Van Orsdel Coral Gables Family Funeral Chapel, 4600 SW 8th Street. The family has suggested that any donations in Jack’s memory be made to either First United Methodist Church of Coral Gables (http://www.fumccg.org/online-giving) or the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (https://www.michaeljfox.org/get-involved/donation2.php?pg=38).
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