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We're so thankful for the amazing people who paved the way for us. Learn more about the retired staff members who began our legacy of service in the community.
Ralph Turner was born July 9, 1920 to A.S. and Myra Haygood Turner in Decatur, Georgia. He graduated from Decatur Boys High School in 1938. He attended the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science and received his Embalmer's license in 1941 and was issued a Funeral Director's license in 1950. On October 19,1944 he married Mary Evelyn Campbell from Scottsboro, Alabama. They were married for almost 56 years before her death on September 23, 2000. They had four children, Patricia Turner, Fred Turner, Jane Turner and Carol Turner and two grandchildren, Scott Turner and Caroline Turner.
Ralph and Evelyn traveled extensively and visited such places as Japan, India, Tibet, Burma, China, Bhutan, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Israel, Kenya, Namibia, Zimbabwe, the Galapagos Islands, went whitewater rafting on the Colorado River and cruised the Amazon River.
He served as 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II and piloting supply planes in the India China Wing of the Air Transport Command. He also served in the first weather reconnaissance squadron and was in the first squadron to fly hurricane reconnaissance. After the war he returned to work in the funeral home.
He was a member of NFDA, GDSA and Select Independent Funeral Homes, the CBI Veterans Association and attended every NFDA convention since 1948.
Fred, a grandson of A.S. Turner, was the Director of Community Affairs and Business Development Manager. He and his wife, Janie, lived in Atlanta, Georgia. They had two children, Scott and Caroline.
Fred had been on staff since 1970 and had been a licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer since 1974. He held a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Georgia and graduated from Gupton Jones College of Funeral Service. He was a member of NFDA, GFDA and the Academy of Graduate Embalmers of Georgia.
Fred was a member and past President of DeKalb College Foundation. He also served on the DeKalb Medical Center Foundation as Memorials Chair and the Annual Support Committee. He was past President and a member of the Advisory Committee of the DeKalb Unit of the American Heart Association. Fred received “Volunteer of the Year” award from the DeKalb Unity of the American Heart Association and a Distinguished Service Medallion from the Georgia Affiliate, American Heart Association. He was a member of Northside United Methodist Church and served on the Church Administrative Board. He was a past member of the Board of Directors of United Family Life Insurance Co. and the DeKalb Unity of the American Cancer Society. He received a Distinguished Alumni Award from DeKalb College.
He was a member of Pack 42, Troup 6 and Explorer Post 175 in Decatur from 1954 to 1965. He went to Philmont Scout Ranch in 1962. He was Friends of Scouting Chairman for Service area 3 for two years and served as Chairman of District Operations for Service Area 1. He was assistant Club Master and Webelos II Den Leader with Pack 577 at Oak Grove United Methodist Church. He had been a member of the Executive Board of the Atlanta Area Council, Boy Scouts of America since 1987 and received a District Award of Merit from the DeKalb District.
Pat Turner, the firstborn of Ralph and Evelyn Turner, was born at Emory Hospital in Atlanta, GA, in 1946. She attended the old Ponce de Leon Elementary School, Decatur High School, and Newcomb College of Tulane University, graduating in 1968.
She married Richard Kimura, a doctor, became interested in medicine, and started medical school at LSU in New Orleans in 1971. After completing her school and training, she settled in Savannah, GA, in 1987, practicing neonatology at Memorial Medical Center until retiring in 2015.
Her interests include cats, dogs, plants, and places of the world. She and her sister Jane, along with Ernie Mosier and Cy Hume, are the current owners of the family business that was started by Pat and Jane's grandfather, A.S. Turner.
Jane was the Business Office Manager and was in charge of the Human Resources Department before she retired. She graduated from Decatur High School and from Emory University with a B. S. in Biology in 1969. She then went to Nepal with the Peace Corps, first as a volunteer and then as a trainer of volunteers. She also traveled throughout India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, and Japan during that time.
After returning to the US in 1976, she lived in California for 8 years and then Massachusetts for 12 years. She returned to Georgia and joined the firm in 1996.
She enjoys sewing, crocheting, knitting, reading, and playing piano. She and her sister Pat, along with Ernie Mosier and Cy Hume, are the current owners of the family business that was started by Pat and Jane's grandfather, A.S. Turner.
Ernie serves on the Board of Directors of A.S. Turner and Sons. He retired after over 40 years of service. Ernie lives on Jackson Lake and has been a licensed funeral director and embalmer since 1970. He is a Certified Funeral Service Practitioner and a Certified Crematory Operator.
Ernie attended Georgia Southwestern College and graduated from Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science, where he was president of Pi Sigma Eta, Alpha chapter, a professional mortuary fraternity. He is a member of the National Funeral Directors Association, Academy of Graduate Embalmers of Georgia, Cremation Association of North America, and Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice, and has completed the Life Appreciation training. He has served on the advisory board of Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service and was president of the Georgia Funeral Directors Association.
He and his wife, Peggy, have two daughters and two granddaughters. He enjoys going to oldies concerts and spending time with family and friends. Ernie, Pat, Jane, and Cy Hume are the current owners of A.S. Turner and Sons.
Bob lived in Lilburn, Georgia, and had been a member of our staff since 1976 and had been a licensed funeral director and embalmer since 1979. He was a member of NFDA, the Academy of Graduate Embalmers of Georgia and had attended a Life Appreciation Seminar.
He and his wife, Mary, are lived on by their three children and five grandchildren. Bob was a US Navy veteran and was a graduate of Gupton Jones College of Funeral Service. He enjoyed singing in his church choir, being a grandfather and riding his Honda Gold Wing motorcycle.
Mike joined the staff of A.S. Turner & Sons in August of 2007. Mike lived in Decatur, Georgia. He was a licensed funeral director and embalmer in North Carolina, Florida, and Georgia. He was a Certified Cremation Operator. Mike attended the Kentucky School of Mortuary Science in Louisville.
He is lived on by his two daughters, one son, and four grandchildren. He enjoyed cooking, sewing and traveling.
Dennis was born in Columbus and is a life-long resident of Georgia. He was a 1987 graduate of Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Science.
He had been a licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer since 1987. He was a member of the Georgia Funeral Directors Association and the Academy of Graduate Embalmers.
Dennis lived in Atlanta and is lived on by his two daughters, Kelsi and Kyra.
Tom and his wife, Susan lived in Decatur, Georgia. Tom had been a member of our staff since 1994 and was a licensed funeral director and embalmer. He was a member of NFDA, the Academy of Graduate Embalmers of Georgia.
Tom had been a member of First Decatur United Methodist Church for over 20 years. He was a graduate of Gupton Jones College of Funeral Service and held a degree from the University of Georgia. He enjoyed traveling and reading.
James, a native of Atlanta, had been a member of our staff since 1987 and was the Senior Funeral Director of Family Services. He is a Certified Funeral Service Practitioner and a Certified Crematory Operator.
James is a member of The Academy of Graduate Embalmers of Georgia and an associate member of The Georgia Funeral Directors & National Funeral Directors Associations. He has been licensed since 1980 and holds licenses in Georgia and North Carolina.
A former Big Brother, he has two little brothers. James was a former Cubmaster & Scoutmaster with Pack/Troop 582 and the proud parent of an Eagle Scout. He and his wife, Rhonda, live in Loganville, have two sons and are members of Park Place Baptist Church in Snellville.
He lived his childhood dream of being an undertaker. He enjoys bicycling, cooking, photography and travel.
Charles is a third generation native of Atlanta, Georgia. He attended DeKalb County, Georgia elementary and secondary schools and received a B.A. degree from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta. Following college he attended and graduated from (the late) Atlanta Law School receiving both a LL.B. and LL.M. degree.
After working he decided to follow his life long compassion and entered the funeral profession. He attended and graduated from Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service having the privilege of being taught by the late Russell Milison and received both an A.A. degree and Graduate Funeral Service Diploma.
He has been employed in the funeral profession at several funeral homes, both corporate and private since 1978. Now semi-retired he is still actively employed with A. S. Turner and Sons Funeral Home and Crematory as he has been for the past 14 years. He is a member of the National Funeral Directors Association, the Georgia Funeral Directors Association and the Georgia Academy of Graduate Embalmers.
He has had the same wife for 45 years resulting in two wonderful daughters and sons-in-law, and three fantastic granddaughters. His hobbies are mainly his family, his home, and his profession.
Miss Nancy is a native of Decatur, GA and helps part time in the business office since her retirement from the banking industry. Her mother, Ann was the secretary at A. S. Turner and Sons from 1938 to until her retirement after 60 years in 1998.
James was born in nearby Gwinnett County and moved with his family in 1959 to the South DeKalb area of Decatur. He graduated from Gordon High School in 1966, the same year that he began his funeral service career as an apprentice. He served his country in the U. S. Navy Reserves for 10 years, two of which were on active duty during the war in Vietnam. James was a 1972 graduate of Gupton Jones College and received his funeral director license in 1974.
During his life of service to others, James has belonged to many veterans' organizations and civic clubs, which resulted in honorary life memberships from the Jaycees and American Legion. In 1991, James received the George Washington Honor Medal for Community Service from the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. He served 10 years on the Snellville City Council and the Zoning Board of Appeals. In 1995, James received the Community Service Award from the Georgia Municipal Association. He is a member of the National Funeral Directors Association.
The love of genealogy is one of his passions and in 1998, James documented direct lineage to a hero of the American Revolution from South Carolina. He and his sons are charter members of the Button Gwinnett Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution.
James is married to his high school sweetheart, Jeannie Freeman. They live in Snellville and have two sons and four grandchildren.
Harry joined the staff of A. S. Turner & Sons in 1973. He does maintenance work in the building and also on our fleet of cars. Harry lives in Lithonia, GA. He is married and has three sons, twenty grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. He enjoys talking on his CB radio, fishing and sports.
Richard E "Rick" Petersen has been a licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer since 1993. He has over 27 years of experience in funeral service and has been employed with A.S. Turner and Sons since 2008. Rick also holds a Georgia license as an insurance agent. He is a member of the Georgia Funeral Directors Association and the Academy of Graduate Embalmers of Georgia. Rick lives in Decatur, Georgia.
Dee lives in Stockbridge, Georgia and has been employed at A.S. Turner and Sons since 2003. She works in the business office filing death certificates and obtaining certified copies for our families, maintaining funeral records and performing other necessary office tasks. She and her husband, Terry, have two children and four grandchildren. She enjoys spending time at their cabin on the lake.
Anthony lives in Decatur, Georgia. He is a licensed funeral director and embalmer. He is a member of NFDA and GFDA. He and his wife, Jan, have one child.
Rickey was born in Savannah, Georgia, graduated from Screven County High School in 1970, and Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Science in 1983. He is a member of GFDA, NFDA, Academy of Graduate Embalmers of Georgia, and is a Certified Cremation Operator.
He lives in Jackson, Georgia, is married, has four children, and fourteen grandchildren. Rickey enjoys hunting, fishing, and dirt track racing. His goal is "To treat every family as if they were my own."
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