Charles Eugene Turner's Obituary
Charles Eugene Turner was born 18 July 1930 to Margaret Whitner Turner in Corinth MS. Some of his fondest early memories came from walking through town with his mother, learning to appreciate its people and their stories. Little Charlie would someday become quite the people-person, with a gift for finding enchantment in every face and name. He also developed an early appreciation for a quiet sanctuary: “I always, by the grace of God, loved to go into the church, even when I was small,” he said. “I couldn't tell you why.”
The family would move from Corinth, to Memphis, to northern Alabama, and then to Chattanooga. It was there that Charles met Jo Ann Kachadurian. They shared a textbook during Latin class one day, and the rest of his life was entwined with hers. They married on 29 July 1950, just outside his sister’s bathroom window - a simple “garden wedding,” they would say with a laugh.
A year later, at 21 years old, Charles joined the Navy. This took him and Jo Ann to Hawaii, a place he would love like no other. He remembered the waters as “the bluest blue you could imagine, what heaven must be like.” They welcomed baby Alison Beth during their time there, soon followed by a transfer to Washington DC and the arrival of baby Laurie Faith. Then in 1955, Charlie and Jo Ann moved their family to a small house in Memphis (the site of many a Sunday lunch to come), and the Navy man could turn his attentions to writing.
As with any artist’s path, Charlie’s was varied and winding, but it was certainly one of faith. His mother and grandpap had taught him to love the Lord, and his works were permeated by his particular call to ministry. Short stories and novels, plays, articles for magazines, even a children’s book - Charlie spent many years crafting narratives, fleshing out spiritual quandaries in southern gothic prose. He chose words in a way that conveyed both candor and reverence, aiming above all to “deepen the mystery of God and not attempt to shallow it.”
Lover of words that he was, Charlie talked even more than he wrote. He had a generous way of conversing with any person on any topic, converting strangers to friends wherever he went. He was endlessly curious about the goings-on of life, and delighted in anecdotes as much as in novels. And though he never wrote an autobiography, he played the comedic protagonist in some beloved bits of family lore, always recounting his own absent-minded foibles with easy geniality.
During his final days, Charles was still writing, still lighting up at every face and name. On 19 November 2024, Charles was called on to heaven; he said he’d heard Jo Ann beckoning him, telling him to come on home.
He was also preceded in death by his mother, Margaret; brother, Dan; and his sister, Mary Ann.
Surviving are his loving daughters Alison Hodges (Charles) and Laurie Graves Morris (David); granddaughters Rachel Jones (Austin), Sarah Graves, Kathryn Kilboy (Jim), Kilby Yarbrough (David), and Chasity Nguyen; grandsons Cory Cotham, Curt Cotham (Rita) and Jonathan Graves, great-granddaughters Bea Cotham and Annie Jones, and great-grandson Nathan Jones. He loved his family deeply.
“May the Lord bless your going out and your coming in, from this time forth, now and forevermore.”
What’s your fondest memory of Charles?
What’s a lesson you learned from Charles?
Share a story where Charles' kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Charles you’ll never forget.
How did Charles make you smile?