Obituary of Garnest H. Turner

Of the passing of the great Garn Turner, who left us on November 1, 2018, after a short but merciless illness and a rich, masterful life, the poet W.H. Auden might have said, "Stop the presses, cut the stove from the heat, prevent the damn dog from escaping down the street, unboot the computer and, with wild refrains, bring out Garn Turner and his fancy cremains." (poetic license of “Funeral Blues”)
 

Garnest Turner was born in Jacksonville, Illinois, on February 6, 1950 as the third of the eventual nine children of Beulah (Looker) Turner and her husband Lester, who died in 1988. A lifelong reader, reciter, and raconteur, Garn studied at Illinois' Olivet University before continuing his education abroad in Sligo, Ireland, where he lived, nearly penniless but rich in friends, for a year before returning to the States. His time at Olivet and in Sligo shaped him into a Renaissance bon vivant, capable of walking with kings without fear of losing the common touch, as Kipling would have said had they the opportunity to meet him.

In 1979, Garn followed his younger sister, Mary, to the cloudy Pacific Northwest, so reminiscent of Ireland in its gray skies and dark humor, where he eventually met another Mary. They married on Independence Day, 1987.

For much of Garn's professional life, he was a printer, typesetter, and graphic designer for companies in Illinois and throughout the Olympia area. Until his passing, he ran his own company, Turner Type & Design. Like another printer polymath, Benjamin Franklin, Garn saw setting words in type as a noble profession with a particularly American pedigree, and considered the work to be part of his civic calling. Along with volunteering with the Waterfront Kiwanis and Olympia's Catholic Community Kitchen, Garn was active with Lacey's Holy Wisdom Community.

At age 53, Garn went back to school and earned his Bachelor’s and Master's Degrees at The Evergreen State College. He taught for several years until his retirement, leaving his students and his teaching cohort with the memory of a man, like "matchless Franklin," who knew a little about everything.

Garn was also a lifelong artist.  His paintings, sketches, photographs and stories are spread throughout the U.S. and Ireland.  He was a historian and published the Memories of Olympia area Veterans of WWII in a book titled “Local Heroes” before their voices were silenced by time.  He sang, danced and told many a tale. He spoke many truths with humor, wisdom and the grounding of a well-read and well-lived man, and many stories where the truth was allowed to be an afterthought.

Garn's adoptive Irish eye-twinkle and boisterous bonhomie lit up the room. Memories of his rants and recitations, delivered in a manly bass that belied his compact size (as did his towering sons), are indelible. He strong-armed Death for several months but contacted many friends with cryptic messages of "Carpe Diem" when he knew his time was short. Like Thoreau, he didn't need to make his peace with God or anyone, as it was unlikely they had quarreled. He leaves more holes than Blackburn, Lancashire.

Garn is survived by his mother, Beulah, and her husband, Charles, as well as his eight siblings, Les, Bill, Mary, Sue, Steve, Judy, Andrew, and Paula, and their exponentially greater numbers of spouses and children. He leaves behind his adored sons, Andrew and Ian, of Lacey, and his cherished wife of 31 years, Mary.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his name may be made to the Thurston County Food Bank, Catholic Community Services Kitchen of Olympia or the Waterfront Kiwanis at 6803 Miner Dr. SW, Tumwater, WA 98512.

A memorial celebration will be held at the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepard, 1601 North St. SE, Olympia, on Sunday December 9, 2018 at 2:00 p.m., with reception to follow.

To co-opt his well-worn phrase, you were All the Best.