Life of State Representative Eulogized

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - One a day when tears outnumbered smiles, Johnnie Turner, briefly found joy for a moment...looking at a funeral program which contained some family photos of her and the man she loved and lost after 44 years of marriage. As hundreds of mourners streamed into the Greater Middle Baptist Church to pay their last respects, to her late husband, Tennessee State Representative, Larry Turner, on Tuesday, perhaps no one else could empathize more with his wife's sense of loss than family friend and fellow Memphis civil rights pioneer, Maxine Smith....widowed just months ago herself.

Before the services began for Turner, who died last week at the age of 70, many of his past and present colleagues in the General Assembly admiringly spoke of his 25-year tenure....describing a soft-spoken man, who in life and career never wavered from the courage of his convictions.

Reverend James Netters remarked, "You ever heard of a quiet storm? He was that kind of person. He was most effective in whatever he did, and he was always sincere…integrity at the top."

Representative Steve McManus added, "Larry was very, very successful in finding that middle ground to really accomplish a lot of things. So, he'll be missed up there. He really will be."

Former state senator, Kathryn Bowers noted, "He was a person who's very amenable and always voted his convictions; even though, sometimes he might be the only red light up there."

Missing as well with the death of Turner, will be a fierce fighter for racial equality. In 1968, Turner not only marched with the striking sanitation workers, but was also among those in the audience as Martin Luther King delivered his iconic "Mountaintop" speech at Mason Temple. In an interview with FOX13 News in 1999, Turner spoke of the importance of King's legacy.

At the time Turner observed, "Remember his contribution and try to instill in young people what his life...his non-violent life and legacy was all about."

Turner teamed with his wife Johnnie as tireless proponents of the Memphis branch of the NAACP....as both passionately fought for the rights of the poor and the downtrodden...on issues ranging from healthcare to voting rights. Turner brought that same populist fervor to the hill in Nashville.

Representative John DeBerry reflected, "He would stand up for the little guy. He would make a vote based on his conscience and what he believed to be right, and he wasn't afraid to go against the grain and go against even his colleagues. One of the things everybody's gonna say today was that Larry was good man, and I think that is what will remain as his legacy."