Former band leader, music teacher, W. Edward Turner dies

ASHVILLE, New York, USA - Sue Siecker sent along the news today that former SWCS band leader W. Edward Turner has died at 79.

Of course, when we were in high school, he was Mr. Turner, though more than a few people called him Cho-Cho Turner, in honor of the ice cream bars he consumed in the cafeteria.

I never did band, though many of my amigos did.

Here's Cho-Cho's obituary from the Jamestown Post Journal.

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Mr. Turner

Ed Turner, 92, formerly of Ashville, died Saturday morning, April 10, 2010, at Heritage Village.

A lifelong area resident, he was born March 9, 1918, in Randolph, N.Y., the son of Walter H. Turner and Gertrude Fox Turner.

He was the first in his family to graduate from high school and also the first to receive a college degree and then two graduate degrees.

He was married for 57 years, and he raised six children. He was hired by the state of New York to write a book about French horn playing and he performed as a soloist at hundreds of concerts. "Not bad," he would say, "for a man pronounced dead at birth."

He graduated from Falconer High School, then Fredonia State College. He received masters' degrees from Fredonia State College and New York University. He served as music instructor first at the Arcade School system, and then with the Southwestern Central School system for 27 years. The SWCS alma mater was written by him. He retired in 1973 and opened Turner Music Studio. He returned to teaching at age 80 as band director at Holy Family Catholic School.

He was a very active musician. He performed with a touring Broadway musical, the Hamilton Symphony Orchestra, and started several of his own bands. He is perhaps best remembered for his American Eagle Dixieland Band which played in the area extensively. He performed at Art Park and Chautauqua Institution as well as with the Jamestown Municipal Band and the Jamestown Civic Orchestra which he directed. He enjoyed arranging and composing, but mostly playing. In June 2009, he was honored as one of the founders of the Chautauqua County Music Teachers Association festival.

He was a very devoted father to six children and loved to play with his grandchildren. His unusually creative bedtime stories will never be forgotten. He loved to play chess. He was active in several churches and enjoyed deep philosophical discussions. Most recently, he was a member of the Gerry United Methodist Church.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Marabel King Turner and his younger sister Rachel Turner as well as by his six children, Ruth Wahl of Napoli, N.Y.; Tim Turner (Judith) of Canton, Texas; son, Lauren Turner of Warsaw, N.Y.; Molly Golando (David) of Sheridan, N.Y.; Paul Turner of Willoughby, Ohio; and Margaret "Peggy" Hallberg (John) of Jamestown, N.Y. He has 13 grandchildren: Christopher Wahl, Joy Golando, Grace Golando, Gregory Golando, Kalynn Turner, Elizabeth Hallberg, Emylia Hallberg, Stephen Hallberg, Tiffany Turner, Sherry Turner, Chance Turner, Lydena Sumarall and JoeCarl Turner. He has five great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Robert Alton Turner, and a sister, Pauline Turner Maxfield.

The funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday April 14, 2010, at the Lind Funeral Home, with Heather Allport-Cohoon officiating.

Burial will be in Sunset Hill Cemetery.

Friends will be received from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Chautauqua County Music Teachers Association Scholarship Fund, 909 Central Ave., Dunkirk, NY 14048.