Ian Bruce Turner

Dr. Ian Bruce Turner, age 70, passed away peacefully at home Tuesday night August 9, 2016. The memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, August 20, 2016 in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church with Rev. Zach Sasser and Dr. Mickey Byrd officiating. An extended prelude will begin at 10:45 to celebrate Bruce’s love of music and a reception at the church will follow the service. A memorial service will also be held in Bloomington, IN on September 24, 2016 at 1 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church with interment following at a later date in Saybrook, IL at Greenwood Cemetery. Dr. Turner was born on July 4, 1946 in Monmouth, IL to the late Lynn Warren Turner and Vera Kathryn Arbogast Turner. He obtained a B.A. in history with a minor in music from Otterbein College where his father was president of the college and presented his diploma. Continuing his education, he received a M.A. and Ph.D. in American history from the University of Illinois. From 1971-72 he served as the president of Phi Alpha Theta, the National History Honor Society. As much as he loved education and history, he did not have an interest in teaching, so he pursued a Master’s of Library Science at the University of Kentucky, where he received the Colonial Dames Fellowship from 1976-77 and became a member of Beta Phi Mu, National Library Science Honor Society. In 1977, he began working as the head of Special Collections and Assistant Librarian at the State University of New York at Oswego. In 1983, he accepted a position at the Edith Garland Dupré Library (University of Louisiana at Lafayette) as Associate Professor of Library Sciences and Head of Archives and Special Collections. During his 33 years at ULL, he obtained to the rank of Professor, published over 26 articles in six different journals, curated 30 exhibits, wrote multiple grants, and participated in numerous committees. From 1998-2001, he was the recipient of the Friends of the Edith Garland Dupré Library Board of Regents Support Fund Professorship. He was an active member of the Louisiana Archives and Manuscripts Association (LAMA) and the Society of Southwest Archivists (SSA,) serving over the years as president, president-elect, vice president, and board and committee member for both organizations. With the Louisiana Historical Association, he was a member of the archives and membership committees; and he was the chair of multiple committees and on the board for many years with the Society of American Archivists. During his career, he traveled to many conferences throughout the U.S. to gain and share knowledge of history and the archives--presenting for all of these organizations multiple times. In 1979 at a string quartet concert, Bruce met Sue Ann Steck, a professional musician and music educator in Oswego, NY. They were married on June 14, 1980, in a wedding that rivaled a good concert. Kristen Marie Turner, Bruce’s daughter, was the flower girl. From their marriage, Bruce and Sue were blessed with two children, Jessica Lynn and Kathryn Elise. They enjoyed many vacations together and with extended family, often visiting historical sites, sharing their musical talents, intellectual banter, educational battles, holiday celebrations, laughter, and above all unconditional love for one another. Bruce was a momentous influence on his children, encouraging them to reach for the stars and always strive to do better and give more. He loved his family, including his sister Veralyn Kinzer and her husband Tom, whom he spoke with regularly through a multitude of formats. It was fitting that he spent his last week on vacation in Wisconsin with his wife, three daughters, sister, and her family. Although his love of history was a predominant part of his life, he had an eclectic mix of many other interests from the arts and reading to travel and, most recently, Facebook. He sang bass with Chorale Acadienne since 1997, sang tenor and bass with the Acadiana Symphony Chorus, and was a faithful member of the church choir, sometimes being featured as a cantor and soloist. He played cello with the Acadiana Symphony from 1984-97 and continued to play with the ULL Symphony Orchestra and the Lafayette Community Strings until recently. Since childhood, he was an active church member and when he and Sue moved to Lafayette, they immediately were drawn to the music and ministry at First Presbyterian Church. There he was an ordained elder, served on numerous committees including the session (the governing body of the church), taught Sunday school classes, and was considered a cherished leader. He worked with the Presbytery of South Louisiana committee of ministry and commissioning and attended many Presbytery meetings representing First Presbyterian. Being a ULL staff member and a man of strong faith, he strove to share these attributes with the students of ULL through the Wesley Campus Ministry. He served as president of this organization and frequently volunteered his time and wisdom. Recently he became heavily involved with the Louisiana Presbyterian Pilgrimage (formerly Cursillo) as a board member, counselor, and conference attendee. He was an avid reader, with JRR Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Dr. Seuss, Ernest Gaines, Roald Dahl and Robert Ludlum among his favorites. He was a world traveler, covering most of Europe, including a recent trip to Prague with Chorale Acadienne members, and nearly the entire continental United States. His travels inspired him to become an amateur photographer, his favorite subjects being buildings and historically relevant places. Throughout his life, he acquired various collections including stamps, coins, nutcrackers, lighthouses, Santa Clauses, and questionably decorative chickens. He volunteered weekly for the Communities United in Prayer and Service Basket Ministry. Once a month he brought meals to people unable to leave their homes through Meals on Wheels. He donated generously to a plethora of charitable foundations and was always willing to lend a helping hand. He was a kind soul, a true historian, a walking encyclopedia, a professional archivist, a community leader, a loving father and husband with a dry sense of humor and a willingness to listen, learn, and teach. He loved his family, friends, animals, music, good (not spicy) food, books, television series, Facebook, bad puns, old family stories, and college sports. He has touched many people the world around and his presence in our lives will be greatly missed. Dr. Turner is preceded in death by his parents and sister, Sylvia Warren Turner. He is survived by his wife of 36 years Sue Ann Steck Turner of Lafayette; his daughters, Kristen Marie Turner of Southgate, KY, Jessica Lynn Turner of Lafayette, and Kathryn Elise Turner of Baton Rouge; his sister Veralyn Kinzer and her husband Tom of Bloomington, IN, and a multitude of nieces, nephews, and their families. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made in Bruce’s name to a fund, which will be distributed by the family to his favorite charities listed below. These donations can be sent through Pay Pal to paypal.me/brucememorialfund or directly to the Bruce Turner Memorial Fund, 100 Normandy Rd., Lafayette, LA 70503. Otterbein University University of Louisiana at Lafayette First Presbyterian Church National Park Foundation American Diabetes Association UNICEF National Public Radio Smithsonian A Potential Archivist Scholarship in Dr. Bruce Turner’s name

Ian Bruce Turner

July 4, 1946 - August 9, 2016