William Jay Turner, 83, of Gladwin, formerly of Owosso, died peacefully Sept. 21, 2022, at MyMichigan Medical Center Midland with family members comforting him by his side.
Cremation has taken place. The family will host an open house celebration of Bill’s life on Saturday, Oct. 1, from 1-3 p.m. at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 331 Clendening Road in Gladwin.
Bill was born June 1, 1939, in Owosso, the second son of Stanley and Annabelle Turner. He married his steadfast partner in life, Susan (Wright), on Oct. 17, 1959, in Owosso.
Bill retired from the General Motors Truck Plant in Flint in 1988 after 30 years of service to GM and moved permanently with Sue to what had been their second home on Wiggins Lake.
Bill’s strong work ethic led him to embark on a second career in 1997 as a driver for the Gladwin Transit Authority, where he worked until 2012.
The intense loyalty he showed for the people and animals he loved spilled over to the sport teams that he supported through highs and lows — first and foremost the Michigan State Spartans and Detroit Lions, as well as the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings.
He also loved hosting family and friends for a beer around his Wiggins Lake campfire, especially during the Fourth of July, and making an annual trek with a large group of his favorite people to Burt Lake State Park.
Bill is survived by his wife of nearly 63 years, Sue; children Brenda (Ricardo) Martinez of Ovid and Michael (Terri) Turner of Vernon; grandchildren Odessa (Josh) Kehm, Hannah (Patrick) Clark and Madison (Ian Regnier) Turner; great-grandchildren Hailey and Logan Kehm; brother Dick; sister Carol; in-laws Birdie (Bob) Wright, Cindy Helms, Linda (Rod) Burkhart, Jeff Helms and Leigh (Sam) Armstrong; several nieces, nephews and cousins; and his dear sweet Annie.
He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Dennis and special dog Ed.
The family would like to express their sincere appreciation to the professional and compassionate staff members at MyMichigan Medical Center Midland and MyMichigan Medical Center Gladwin.
Those who would like to do so are encouraged to make contributions in Bill’s honor to the animal welfare organization of their choice.