William J. “Bill” Turner, 81, of Pullman, passed away Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022, at his Pullman home after a year-long battle with cancer.
Bill was born June 27, 1940, in Bell, Calif., to William and Marian (Focher) Turner. He grew up in Southern California until he moved with his family to the Bay Area. In high school, Bill met Sandra Rock, the love of his life. He excelled at both academics and athletics. He held records in track, and in football he was an accomplished end who was subsequently offered a full-ride scholarship to the University of California, Berkeley.
As an undergraduate, Bill studied physical education but soon discovered entomology, an eventual life-long passion. In his senior year, he was voted as the Most Valuable Player, as he was ranked in the top 5 of all receivers in the NCAA.
In 1962, he married Sandy and he was invited to play in the Hula Bowl — the trip to Hawaii doubled as a honeymoon. Following his bachelor’s degree, he was pursued by professional football teams but, instead, went on to receive both his master’s and Ph.D. in entomology from Berkeley. In 1970, Bill and Sandy moved to Pullman where he began his career at Washington State University in the Department of Entomology. Bill was a devoted teacher and his career spanned 40 years when he retired in 2010. He was regarded by students, colleagues, friends and family as a fastidious taxonomist who shared his love of insects and the natural world through field trips and collecting sessions.
Bill worked tirelessly to share his knowledge with his students. His serious, professional persona was countered by a more private, fun-loving side that found humor in most things. He enjoyed traveling with Sandy, though often dragging along insect nets much to her dismay. But also enjoyed adding new additions to his extensive insect collection. He and Sandy were devoted Cougar fans, enjoying football, basketball and women’s volleyball. In more recent years, he cherished talking with friends and family over coffee or spending Saturday afternoons with his granddaughters watching college football on TV.
He is survived by his wife, Sandra Turner; his children, Kristi Turner and Greg Turner-Rahman (Lipi), all of Pullman; two grandchildren, Safaa and Aneesa Turner-Rahman; his adopted daughter Ming (Jerry) Bedoyan, of Beachwood, Ohio; and his beloved cat, Jackson. He was preceded in death by his parents.
No public services will be held at Bill’s request. He will be laid to rest at Pullman Cemetery in a private family ceremony.
Corbeill Funeral Home of Pullman has been entrusted with arrangements. The family would like to thank Dr. Midence and his staff at the St. Joseph Cancer Center. They also wish to thank Bill’s Kindred Hospice team: Kelly, Jamie, Ann, and especially Jolene for their excellent care.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Kindred Hospice or the Whitman County Humane Society.
Online condolences may be sent to corbeillfuneralhomes.com.
