Larry L. Turner, a longtime Mt. Airy resident, died suddenly and unexpectedly of a cardiac event in his home on April 22 at age 65. A highly respected lawyer, he was a first-generation college graduate, fighter for the underdog and multisport athlete.
Turner retired from his work as an attorney to work on a variety of passion projects. These included volunteering on the boards of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, William Penn Charter School, and the Williamson College of the Trades. He also taught Tai Chi classes.
“His death was very sudden, a big shock,” Turner's son, Nicholas, told the Local. “He had elevated blood pressure but that's all, and he was taking medication for that.”
Nicholas added, “I'd most like people to know that my dad was the most reliable person I know. His work ethic carried through his professional life, personal life and exercise routine for decades. I knew what to expect from him, and I could rely on him for pretty much anything.”
The Turner family lived in Mt. Airy for the past 20 years and in Chestnut Hill before that. Nicholas rowed crew for Chestnut Hill Academy and recalled, “Dad would come to all the meets. He was a dedicated dad. He was able to balance achievements with personal life.”
A native of Elizabeth City, North Carolina, Turner earned a degree in political science from the University of North Carolina in 1981 and a law degree from Georgetown Law School in 1984. After law school, he moved to Pennsylvania and lived in Northwest Philadelphia for the rest of his life. He had two children, Nicholas and Hillary, with his first wife, Laura Forrest, and two children, Alexander and Grace, with his second wife, Cynthia MacQueen.
Hillary told the Local, “My dad always did the right thing. You could always depend on him to give you feedback you might not always want to hear, but it was in your best interest. He was not one to sit still. He was an avid reader. Very athletic, always pushing himself. He had been a fencer, football player, cycler, swimmer, jiu jitsu.”
Turner joined the law firm of Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhodes in 1986, became a partner in 1994 and left in 2001 to become a partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. While there, he served as co-chair of the firm’s Unfair Competition and Trade Secrets Taskforce and a co-chair of the Diversity Committee. He was selected many times by opposing attorneys to receive the prestigious title of “Pennsylvania Super Lawyer.”
Gilbert Casellas, a colleague of Turner at Montgomery McCracken for seven years, wrote in an online tribute, “I had the pleasure of recruiting and hiring many lawyers during the 1980s as the firm's hiring partner. Larry was among the very best and became more than a business colleague and more like a member of our family. We shared many meals and playdates with him, Hillary, and Nicholas.
“He was a man of dignity, character and integrity whether in the office, a courtroom or on the playground.”
In a Facebook video for Morgan Lewis, Turner said, “My parents poured their entire lives into me. I did not want to disappoint them or myself. … I am most proud of the day I received my law degree from Georgetown because my father was there to see it.”
Bernard Bell, a roommate of Turner's at the University of North Carolina, wrote in an online tribute: “Many an afternoon we all would sit out on the balcony and watch the baseball games and just get to know each other, as young men do. Larry was a fencer, and all of us Black students had never met a Black fencer before. Well, Larry OWNED it. He was a class act then and carried himself with coolness and dignity.”
A memorial service for Turner was held on April 30 at Chestnut Hill’s Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Turner is survived by his wife, Cynthia; four children Hillary, Nicholas, Alexander, and Grace; sister Tammy MacDonald; two grandchildren Elizabeth and Charlotte Redmond; nephew Dexter James; and many cousins and friends.
Len Lear can be reached at LenLear@chestnuthilllocal.com.
