Ralph Lamont Turner

Ralph Lamont Turner, 89, of York, SC passed away peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday November 9, 2022 at his home.

Born September 6, 1933 in Gastonia, NC, he was the son of the late John Henry Turner and Bessie Louise Harris Turner. He was a member of Mountain View Baptist Church in Blacksburg, SC. 

 Ralph joined the National Guard at the age of 15 and went on to proudly serve in the U.S. Army during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He retired as a Chief Warrant Officer 4 after 22 years of service. Ralph then embarked on a career leading drone teams for military exercises for Beech Aerospace and later managing aircraft maintenance operations for Flying Tigers and FedEx. He spent 30 years living in Asia and Europe before returning to his hometown of York, SC.

Early in his Army career, Ralph found himself supervising physical training exercises for some new recruits. He recognized signs of heat exhaustion in one young soldier, so he ordered the soldier to rest under the shade of a nearby tree. When Ralph went to check on the young soldier, he was surprised to find a colonel standing under the tree and the young soldier running. Incensed, Ralph toed the line of propriety, telling the colonel in no uncertain terms that the soldier had been resting on his command and for good reason. As it turns out, the young soldier had seen the colonel coming and, concerned that the colonel would think him indolent, had rejoined his fellow soldiers of his own accord. The colonel was impressed enough by Ralph’s dedication to the soldiers in his command to later recommend him for promotion.

Ralph enjoyed watching Westerns with his cat, LG. A keen animal lover, Ralph had a number of pets throughout his life, including cats Cenny and Tweetie, a dog named Sandy, and a beer-drinking goat named Worthless. Ralph was a history buff and had a particular interest in antiquing, genealogy, and military history. He adored his wife and was immensely proud of his children.

Ralph is survived by his wife of 42 years, Son Hwa Turner; his children Douglas Lamont Turner (Shane Wolf) of Charlotte, NC, Jeffery Turner (Elizabeth) of Charlotte, NC, Carrie Elizabeth Turner King (David) of Atlanta, GA, Christopher Turner (Sara) of Southmont, NC, and Roberta Lynn Turner (fiancé Joe Cannon) of Dallas, TX; his siblings Wesley Turner of Clover, SC, Joann Jackson of Xenia, OH, Leon Turner (Veralyn) of Franklin, OH, Jeanette Thompson (Bill) of Clover, SC, and Harvey Gene Turner (Linda) of Daniel Island, SC; his grandchildren Kimberly Turner Miller (Jason), Kara Turner Uhinck (Mark), Audrey Turner, Rachel King Mammadli (Jeyhun), Benjamin King (Kayla), Steven King, Jessica Turner McKim (Aaron), Christopher Turner II, Jacob Turner; his great-grandchildren Elijah Uhinck, Sicilia Miller, Kesler Miller, Benjamin Uhinck, Ella McKim, and Kai Mammadli. Ralph was preceded in death by his brother John Henry Turner, Jr. and his sister Mary Louise Baldwin.

Visitation will begin at 1:00 pm and the funeral service will begin at 2:00 pm on Saturday, November 19, 2022 at Bratton Funeral Home, 1455 Filbert Hwy, York, SC. Funeral services will be jointly led by Reverend Ken Lane (ret.) formerly of Mountain View Baptist Church in Blacksburg, SC and Reverend Joseph Cho of Templeton Mission Church in Cramerton, NC, with special remarks by Reverend Hag Su Lee of Hana Church in Lawrenceville, GA.

Memorials may be made to the National Museum of the United States Army (www.armyhistory.org) or to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (https://stjude.org/).

Online condolences may be made to the family at www.brattonfuneralhome.com.

Bratton Funeral Home of York, SC is serving the Turner Family.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Ralph Lamont Turner, please visit our floral store.