John Turner (1942-2026)
The Naglee Park community lost a longtime leader and friend with the passing of John Turner. John served as President of the Campus Community Association and dedicated countless hours to our neighborhood.
The following obituary for John Turner was written by his wife, Judy Turner, was first published in the Mercury News and is republished here with her permission.
Milton John Turner was born in San Francisco CA on October 5,1942 to Milton Jarrett and Florence Alma (Riley) Turner. Near the end of February John was diagnosed with an aggressive Stage 4 Salivary Gland Cancer. He died 3 months later on June 4, 2026 at his home in San Jose CA with his wife at his side. He was 83 years old.
John was a proud graduate of Serra High School in San Mateo and Santa Clara University (class of’64) where he earned a BA in English. John played basketball at Serra where he was the starting center for 2 years. When he was a senior SCU recruited him to play basketball and offered him a scholarship to attend. One of his prized possessions is the basketball that sits on top of his bookcase from a SCU game 62 years ago commemorating his 20-rebound game. He was a faithful SCU basketball season ticket holder and referred to himself as “a Bronco for life”. His passion for the game remained a constant throughout his life. He played in adult leagues for many years, was a mainstay in the long run of 35 years of faculty basketball wins over the high school Seniors, and kept a pair of basketball shoes and a ball in his car in case he ever came upon a“pickup game”. He finally quit playing when he was 50–-said it took too long for broken ribs and sprained ankles to heal.
John continued his studies at SCU and earned an MA in counseling and his teaching credential. He taught high school for 35 years –8 years at Piedmont Hills High School followed by 27 years at Santa Teresa High School. In 1990 he designed a unique program for juniors called American Studies. It was a novel and creative approach to team-teaching a coordinated English and History curriculum. The foundation of the program was using American literature and US historical events as“tools” for students to explore themes. Another “tool” was a Service Learning program he set up within the context of the program; one day a week his students left school during class time and volunteered in the community. He said that his goal was to prepare his students to go out into the world armed with compassion and a sense of their responsibility to make it a better place for those less fortunate than themselves. He possessed a fierce determination to give his students his best efforts. He said that it was a privilege to teach and that he considered it an honor to be in the classroom.
John retired from teaching in 2004 and he and his wife moved to the Naglee Park neighborhood next to San Jose State University in downtown San Jose. Retirement was not an easy transition for him. Teaching had been his whole life up until then and he searched for a meaningful way to utilize his skills and volunteer his time. He found a good fit in a program called Reading Partners –a non-profit organization that recruits and trains community volunteers to provide one-on-one literacy tutoring to elementary students in under-resourced schools. For 15 years he worked as a volunteer reading tutor for 3rd and 4th graders. Every school year he was assigned two students and he met with each of them individually for an hour twice a week.
John loved living in Naglee Park. The residents are friendly, diverse, proud of their neighborhood, and actively involved in many of the social activities that create a true sense of identity and community. John volunteered on some of the committees, attended many of the social activities, and was grateful for the personal connections he made while living there. During the last 10 years of his life he served as the Naglee Park Neighborhood Association President and derived a personal sense of satisfaction that he was able to give back to the same community that had given him so much over the years.
John maintained a close connection to Santa Clara University throughout his life. He said that he felt very lucky to go to a school where he was able to play basketball and get a quality education. He valued the friendships he made while there and maintained them over the years –a testament to how central community is to the foundation of the institution. He felt that attending SCU provided him with a moral framework and a set of values during a formative time that endured throughout his life. He considered it a privilege to serve on the Santa Clara University Alumni Board in various capacities and hoped that his contributions would strengthen the tradition of students staying connected to the university after graduation.
After John retired he and his wife traveled the world. They went on adventure trips to Tanzania, Peru, Turkey, Ireland, and Italy and spent many vacations on the beach in Maui, Hawaii. They were loyal SF Giants fans and made many trips to Arizona to go to the preseason spring training games. He was an enthusiastic sports fan and never gave up hope during a Warriors, 49ers, Giants, or Broncos game! He would stay glued to his seat until the final buzzer, the clock ran out, or the last pitch. “It’s never over ‘til it’s over” he used to say. He gave of himself freely, was a loving husband, father, and grandfather and was a loyal friend. He was an engaged and friendly presence wherever he went, had a ready smile, and gave the biggest hugs. His friends said “He was the guy that everybody wanted to sit next to!” He lived a life of love and service and left the world a better place. He will be missed.
John is survived by his wife Judy, sister Claudia Turner, son Matt (Nikki) Turner, step-daughters Maggie and Kate Fitzgerald, grandsons Nicolas Fitzgerald and Chase and Dutch Turner, and niece Allison Brennon. If you wish to honor his memory please make a donation to Sacred Heart Community Service, Attn: Funds Development, 1381 S. First St, San Jose, CA 95110 (www.sacredheartcs.org).
