Services for Don Laverne Turley, 81, of Ada are 2:00 p.m. Thursday at Criswell Funeral Home Chapel, Rev. Dale Howry will officiate and eulogy will be by daughter, Lei Rumley. Burial will follow at Rosedale Cemetery.
Don Laverne Turley passed away, March 10, 2018 at an Oklahoma City hospital.
Born June 3, 1936 to John Murl and Carmen Smith Turley in Ada, OK. He graduated Ada High School in 1954 and attended East Central College in Ada. He married Laurel Smith on July 24, 1957 in Ada, OK.
He was employed by Video Independent Theatres, KTEN Televison, Vumore Cable Television Company, and was vice president of Cablecom General in Ardmore. In 1972, went into business partnership, co-owning Arbuckle Communications, Inc. in Ardmore. In 1992, he retired from Arbuckle and he and his wife Laurel formed Paging Plus in Ada.
Don held a 1st class Federal Communications Radio Telephone Operators license and a general amateur radio operator’s license. He was a former president of Jaycees in Hugo, OK, past member of Lions Club in several Oklahoma towns. He was president of Mid-America CATV Association and was a certified law enforcement officer in the State of Oklahoma.
He served in the US Naval Reserve, Oklahoma National Guard, and the US Army Reserve. He served on the Board of Directors of the American Red Cross in Ardmore.
He was saved and baptized in 1952 at Oak Avenue Baptist Church, Ada, OK. He held a Lay Leaders license in the Episcopal church and was junior and senior warden at Saint Marks Episcopal Church, Hugo, OK and was a member of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, Ardmore, OK.
Upon his retirement from the communications business he became active in Freemasonry. He was a past Master of Ardmore Masonic Lodge #36; Member of the Bright Star Masonic Lodge #113, Stonewall, OK; Member of Order of Eastern Star, Ardmore Lodge #70. Held the Grand Cross of Color degree from the International Order of Rainbow for Girls; Member of McAlester Scottish Rite Consistory; 32nd degree Knight Commander Court of Honor; and Director of the sound department at McAlester Consistory. Member of the York Rite Bodies in Ardmore and Ada and past High Priest of Royal Arch Masons; Past Commander of Knights Templar, Ardmore #9. Member of Order of High Priesthood; past Thrice Illustrious Master of Order of Sword and Trowel of Oklahoma; member of Past Commanders Association of Oklahoma; member of Red Cross of Constantine; member of the York Rite College. Held rank of Knight of York Court of Honor; member of Holy Royal Arch Knights Templar Priesthood. He was Grand Commander of Knights Templar of Oklahoma.
Retirement didn’t slow Don down. He devoted many summers to the Boy Scouts as Director of Shooting Sports at Camp Simpson in Bromide, OK. He negotiated a grant to support shooting sports education for the Boy Scouts who attended Camp Simpson.
He was a Lifetime member and a Benefactor of the NRA; was committee member for Ada Friends of the NRA; and a certified NRA Training Counselor and a Chief Range Safety Officer.
Don is survived by his wife of 61 years, Laurel Smith Turley; daughter Kai Turley and her husband Floyd Neugin, Fittstown, OK; daughter, Lei Turley Rumley and her husband, Matt Rumley, Tulsa, OK. Three beloved grandchildren; William Hogan, Ada, OK; Virgina Hogan Bomboy, her husband John Bomboy of Ada, OK; and Alexandra Rumley, Ada, OK; Sister-in-Law, Judy Turley; Nephew, Paul Turley; Niece, Kristyn Lasater and husband Mark, Nephew, Jack Turley and wife Donna; and great-nieces, Jordyn Turley, Kitty Turley, Presley Turley, and Callie Turley all of Oklahoma City.
He is preceded in death by his parents, John Murl Turley, Carmen Smith Turley, brother Gene E. Turley, and niece Julie Turley.
Bearers will be Floyd Neugin, Jack Turley, J.B. Bolin, Bill Bolin, Tommy Epperly, and Stanley Graham. Honorary bearers will be Paul Turley, Wayne Hallmark, Julius Roppel, Jaden Roppel, Ross Wyche, Jessie Wyche, J.D. Clowdus, and Al Gilley.
Criswell Funeral Home, Ada
