Rockville Volunteer Fire Department: Remembering A Remarkable Life – Donald P. Turner

Rockville MD

31 January, 2022

1:12 PM

Description

Press release from Rockville Volunteer Fire Department: January 21, 2022 The Rockville Volunteer Fire Department recently announced the death of Life Member Donald P. Turner. Mr. Turner, who would have turned 92 on January 22, 2022, joined RVFD on July 30, 1980 at the age of 50 and served as an active EMS member well into his 70s. During his time at RVFD, Mr. Turner focused his energy on his responsibilities within the Department. He never spoke about his life outside the Department. Members knew him for his service on the ambulance and later as the head of our fundraising committee, where he single-handedly prepared the mail solicitation requests, processed the checks and kept the mailing list current. Like many of our volunteers, however, he had a whole other life outside the Department. Thanks to his daughter Cheryl Turner for providing this information, which was part of her eulogy at Mr. Tuner's funeral on January 28, 2022. Don Turner was born in Baltimore on Jan 22, 1930 as the third and youngest son of a Methodist minister, Reverend Gilbert Turner and his schoolteacher wife, Mae Turner. As the child of a minister, he lived in many places within Maryland as his father was assigned to various congregations. During his teen years, while his father was serving as minister at St. Peters United Methodist Church in Princess Anne, he met his future wife, Doris. While attending Salisbury State Teachers College (now Salisbury University), he developed an interest in photography that he turned into a part time profession that he practiced for many years. After graduating from college, he served during the Korean War as a Captain in the United States Air Force. Shortly after joining, he and Doris got married and honeymooned on Smith Island, where he had lived for several years with parents who were serving as a minister and a schoolteacher. After their honeymoon, they moved to Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX, where they had their first child, Rosemary. Mr. Turner was transferred to Montgomery, Alabama for a short time, after which he separated from the Air Force and returned to Maryland, settling in Rockville. It was here that his other daughters, Dorene, Karen and Cheryl were born and raised. They ended up living in Rockville for over 60 years where their family grew to include grandchildren Cynthia, Michael and Shane and great granddaughter Claira. Mr. Turner's teaching career began in the DC public schools and then in Montgomery County, where he taught for a combined total of over 55 years, both as a full-time teacher, Science Resource Specialist, special needs aide and substitute teacher. After retiring he continued to represent the Montgomery County Public Schools as a delegate. Members of the Teacher's Union, in which he was very active , remember him as "a devoted educator who experienced firsthand many momentous changes in the teaching profession." In addition to his teaching career, Mr. Turner was known for his dedicated work at the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department and Auxiliary. His fire department experience began while he was working for the Montgomery County Recreation Department in Takoma Park, which was then located in the basement of the Takoma Park Volunteer Fire Department fire station. He interest in the fire department led, after five years to his home town of Rockville where he joined in July 1980. He served as a volunteer EMT and earned Life Member status in 1995. While at RVFD, in addition to his duties as an EMT, he provided service as parade support, chief pancake maker at the Memorial Day events and most recently the Auxiliary. He even won the President's Award for his hugely successful fundraising campaigns. In discussions the family had with members of RVFD, they the consistently described Mr. Turner as "Dedicated" and "A true volunteer – even when he could no longer do certain jobs, he still found a way to contribute. He was an inspiration to us all and made us better." Throughout the years he remained active in various church functions such as: choirs, committees, Sunday School Superintendent, youth group leader. He was a member of the Francis Asbury United Methodist Church in Rockville for about 50 years and most recently had been a loyal attendee of the Epworth United Methodist Church in Gaithersburg. In addition to the careers previously mentioned, both volunteer and paid, Mr. Turner's other accomplishments included: Mr. Turner passed away at the age of 91 on January 21, 2022, just one day shy of his 92nd birthday. He never saw his age as a hinderance but rather as a badge of honor, and he was very proud of his accomplishments. Many of the members of RVFD only found out about Mr. Turner's life outside the Department at his funeral. Like many volunteer fire/rescue members, they essentially live two lives, one inside the fire/rescue service and one outside. They rarely meet. We honor Donald P. Turner for his life of service both inside and outside the fire/rescue service. He is an example of the many dedicated volunteers at Rockville Volunteer Fire Department and volunteers throughout the country. The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations to Rockville Volunteer Fire Dept., P.O. Box 1789, Rockville, MD 20849 would be appreciated. This press release was produced by Rockville Volunteer Fire Department. The views expressed here are the author's own.