Obituary of William W. Turner

2816 Brigadier-General W.W. Turner, CD passed away peacefully in Kingston on 13 December, 2016 at the grand old age of 95. He will be dearly missed by Hope, his loving wife of 65 years and their three children William (Nadine), Hope (Serge), and John. He was the proud and loving Grandfather of Colin (Jill), Amanda (Lee), Scott, Anthony (Marcela), Brittany (Adrian), and Hayley and was Great-Grandfather to Emily, Ethan, Logan, Dawson, and Hudson. He was the oldest son of Colonel M.W Turner, OBE, CD and Aileen and is survived by younger brother Commander M.A. Turner, CD (Diana). He began his distinguished career in the Canadian Army by enlisting in the non-permanent active militia in Victoria, BC in 1938. He entered the Royal Military College as a Gentleman Cadet in 1940 and was commissioned two years later as a Lieutenant in the last Class to graduate during World War II. He landed on the Normandy Beaches in August 1944 with 4th Canadian Armoured Division and served as a Gun Post Officer, a Command Post Officer, and a Forward Observation Officer in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. Peacetime career highlights included appointments as Brigade Major, 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade in Soest, West Germany; Commanding Officer 3 RCHA in Hemer, West Germany and in Winnipeg; Commander Canadian Contingent in Nicosia, Cyprus; Director of Operations at NDHQ; and finally, as Commandant of the Royal Military College, ending his Regular Force career where he began it, 37 years later. To his great delight, he was appointed Colonel Commandant of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, a role he relished from 1979 to 1986. After leaving the Army, he was a Vice President at the Urban Transit Development Corporation in Kingston and later worked with his very good friend Brit Smith at Homestead Land Holdings Limited. He was a lifetime member of The Royal Military College Club of Canada, was a Past President of its Kingston Branch and served as his Class Secretary for many years. He belonged to the Royal Canadian Artillery Association, the RCHA Brigade Association and the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #560, was an Honorary President of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #9, and was a Past President of the Royal Kingston United Services Institute. Family and friends will remember him for his love of life, family, soldiering, the Moon, his self-discipline, his sense of duty, and how much he enjoyed a hot meal and a good joke. A Memorial Service will be held at Currie Hall, Royal Military College Kingston on Monday 19 December at 1100 hours, followed by a reception at the Fort Frontenac Officers’ Mess and Interment at the Cataraqui Cemetery. Brigadier-General Turner will arrive at his service on a Gun Carriage that will make its way from the Memorial Arch. In lieu of flowers, a donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada, the Canadian Diabetes Associations or to a Veteran’s Association of your choice would be gratefully appreciated.