Guy C. Turner (Deceased), Okemos, MI Michigan

In Memoriam

Guy C. Turner - Class Of 1962 VIEW PROFILE

Guy C. Turner

Guy Chapman Turner Jr. class of 1962 - loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend – passed away in Santa Barbara, California on December 23, 2025 at the age of 81.

Born on October 10, 1944 in Sturgis, MI, Guy was the beloved son of Air Force Staff Sgt. Guy C. Turner & Joan Turner (Hecht Turner Sober). Guy spent his early years living in Sturgis with his loving mother and aunt, Norma Bauer after the untimely death of his father in the 1944 crash of a B24 Liberator on its way to the pacific theater during WW2. Despite the tragedy in Guy’s early life, Guy attended Maplewood School in Sturgis where he enjoyed playing Little League Baseball. He later moved with his family to Okemos, MI where he attended Okemos High School - playing saxophone, excelling in his schoolwork and athletic pursuits (basketball, cross country & track). In 1962, Guy left the cold of winters of Michigan for the beautiful desert landscapes of Tucson, Arizona to study economics and participate in athletics at the University of Arizona. While studying, Guy met his wonderful wife and lifelong companion, Catharine Ann Northway, who was a fellow student at the University.

Guy & Catharine married in a simple Presbyterian ceremony surrounded by friends at their Tucson, AZ, home in November 1965. They celebrated their honeymoon immediately following the event over the Thanksgiving holiday in romantic Sedona, Arizona.

The following years brought an exciting relocation for Catharine and Guy to what would become their forever home in beautiful Santa Barbara, California. Guy always talked fondly about the time he visited Santa Barbara to compete in the Easter Relays at La Playa Stadium overlooking the beautiful Pacific Ocean and promptly returned home to tell Catharine that he found their new home.

Santa Barbara blessed Guy & Catharine with exciting new opportunities. Guy enrolled in a Master of Economics program at the University of California, Santa Barbara and following his graduation he dove into a new role at Defense Contractor, Raytheon, in Goleta where he began his career as a financial controller. Guy successfully progressed within financial roles over the years and enjoyed the challenges that his career offered. He especially enjoyed his time managing DMA Technologies and the successful collaboration with his valued colleagues.

Guy & Catharine also became involved in the local Santa Barbara Yacht Club and enjoyed many years developing lasting friendships, sailing their yachts Cloudburst, Summertime and Alakazam throughout Southern California and notably the waters off Santa Barbara. The Turner family’s annual summer holidays on the island of Catalina brought joy and unforgettable memories to their family. Guy was an ever-present supporter of sailing, which was evident in his roles within the sailing community. In 1997, Guy became Commodore of the SBYC organization and played a vital role as President of the Santa Barbara Youth Sailing Foundation from 1990 – 2003 with Catharine by his side. Together, they provided support to grow the organization and countless Youth Sailing Regattas in Santa Barbara and beyond.

Guy was preceded in Death by his wife Catharine in July 2024. Surviving Guy are his two children, son, Guy C. Turner III (Chad) (wife Dolores) of Valencia, Spain, and daughter, Elizabeth Turner Ottosen of Zurich, Switzerland. Guy was blessed with four beautiful grandchildren: Sara Turner Ottosen, Kasper Turner Ottosen, Nicolas Turner Tarraso and Hugo Turner Tarraso. Guy is also survived by siblings Gregory Sober of Scottsdale, AZ (wife Colleen) and Anne Sober Hirsch (wife Melanie) of Sebastian, FL.

In accordance with his wishes, cremation has taken place. A private memorial in Sturgis, MI celebrating his life is planned with his immediate family. If you are considering memorial contributions, please consider a donation to the Santa Barbara Youth Sailing Foundation.

Our thanks to Greg Sober class of 1969 for notification:

I'm Guy C. Turner's younger brother (technically, half-brother.) Guy died this past December, 2025. I'm including a link to his obituary as published in the Sturgis Journal (Michigan) in February, 2026. Sturgis was the hometown of our mother (Joan H Sober). Guy was born in Sturgis, and spent his early years there before moving to Okemos in 1957 where he enjoyed his junior high and high school years as a Chieftan.

https://www.sturgisjournal.com/obituaries/ppet1411156

Published April 1, 1944 Dowagiac Daily Review (MI)