Billy James Turner

Billy James “Bill” Turner, 87, passed from this life on December 25, 2018, after a brief illness. Bill was born to William and Dewey Turner in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on April 27, 1931. He was the third of four children in the family. Bill married Marianne Couron on June 24, 1951, in Gainesville, Texas. Bill and Marianne lived all of their sixty-five beautiful years together in South Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Bill worked for American Airlines for thirty-one years. He began his career as a reservation agent, but after 3 years he secured a position as a ticket/operations agent where he spent the next 28 years at the Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City. He assisted Marianne in raising three sons with love and patience. Bill built the house where he raised his family near Meridian Avenue on S.W. 32nd in Oklahoma City, based on his own design and vision. He enjoyed playing poker and could be found in the poker room of a casino on a regular basis.

He enjoyed being at the lake with friends and family playing cards and horseshoes. He traveled often with Marianne and their three boys to Las Vegas and Laughlin, Nevada, for vacation. Bill enjoyed “road trips” with the family. He always turned off the radio and filled the car with his singing. Bill was also a poet, although many longtime friends never knew this about him. He wrote his thoughts on scraps of paper, but once a piece was completed, he would memorize it for safe keeping.

Bill retired early, and he and Marianne moved to Las Vegas for one year. He loved the activity of the city and enjoyed driving a limousine for a brief time. He said it made him look important. Family was very important to Bill, and when their first grandchild was born, they returned to south Oklahoma City, where he lived out the remainder of his life.

Bill will be dearly missed by all who loved him. He is survived by his son, Rick Turner; his son, Russell Turner, and his wife Belinda; his son, Roger Turner, and his wife Patricia; his grandchildren Justin Turner, Lauren Tinker and Nathan Turner; his great-grandchildren Braxton Turner, Paisley Turner, Madison Stephens, Cannon Stephens, Alanah Tinker, Bella Tinker, Jayle Turner and Rylan Turner. He is preceded in death by his parents, wife, two sisters, and a brother.