Remembering David Alan Turner

David Alan Turner

David Alan Turner’s life was defined by his passions-of which he had many.

Born on November 19, 1947 in Austin, Texas, David was the elder child of Claudene and Earl Turner. David’s father worked as a lobbyist for the Texas Independent Oil Producers (TIPRO). It was through his father’s vocation that David found his first passion, politics. He witnessed his father navigate the complex and fascinating world of our nation’s oil business, the good, bad, and the ugly. The intrigue of the who, what, when, where and how of politics stayed with him the remainder of his life.

David obtained his degree in history at the University of Texas at Austin (UT). While at UT he discovered another passion, the study of U.S. history, especially the continuing, complicated story of the North and the South. He was present when a gunman opened fire on the UT campus, killing fifteen people, one a life-long friend. On a lighter note, as a member of the UT student government David was tasked to find an aspiring singer, Janis Joplin, an escort for a campus event. David said Miss Joplin’s criteria for her date was simple, “cute and stupid.” David’s first horse was one his father got to entertain the kids. David found the care and riding of these magnificent beasts to be a lifelong and overriding passion. He appreciated their beauty and heart. In 1998, he won first place at the Devon Horse show in the carriage competition. He also feigned pride in the fact a national horse magazine asked him to write the obituary of fellow equestrian – Zsa Zsa Gabor. He worked tirelessly until his death to help make the enforcement of the 1971 Walking Horse Protection Act a reality. Although this is a law on the books, there is no ability for law enforcement officers to criminally charge abusers for their terrible abuse and mistreatment of Tennessee Walking Horses.

While in graduate school at the LBJ School of Public Affairs he had the opportunity to work in Washington D.C. He found Washington to be beautiful, vibrant, and challenging. He never again lived in his beloved Texas. While in D.C. he found yet another passion, speech writing. He worked as a speech writer in the Reagan, Bush, and Clinton White Houses. He was also tasked to write for others in these administrations, such as Secretary Elizabeth (Liddy) Dole and Attorney General Janet Reno. The pinnacle of his speech writing career was crafting a line in Reagan’s “Morning in America” ad campaign.

After his White House service, he went to work in the U.S. Marshals Service as their spokesperson. There he found a passion in explaining the complex, dangerous, and often misunderstood/maligned mission of the Marshals.

While living in Prince George’s County Maryland, David was appointed by the County Executive as the Chairman of the county’s Historic Preservation Commission. He was able to save several historic sites key in African-American history. These sites included slave cabins and cemeteries and a home frequented by Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. David was appointed by Governor Hogan as a member to the Maryland Historic Trust where again he championed preservation of Maryland’s historic places.

David and his partner of twenty-one years, Ran Crawford, moved to Chestertown in 2015. This idyllic Eastern Shore town instantly became home for them. David was active in WCALL, a volunteer at the local homeless shelter, and a member of Shrewsbury Parish.

David is survived by his partner, his sister, Carol Turner and her wife Theresa Scherwin of Asheville, NC and mother-in-law, Bettye Crawford, of Garland, TX. David’s family would also like to recognize the Water St. family that has been so generous in the years he has lived here, especially during his illness.

The services will be held at Shrewsbury Parish on October 19, 2024 at 11:00. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the Children’s National Hospital, Washington D.C.

David’s final passion was sitting on his front porch of his 1910 home and calling out to total strangers-“Where are y’all from? Would your dog like a treat?“