Dr. Ralph J. Turner

March 15, 1939 - March 9, 2020

Dr. Ralph J. Turner, 80, of Huntington died at the Emogene Dolin Jones Hospice House on March 9, 2020, following a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease. He was surrounded by Barbara, his wife of 58 years, and loving children and grandchildren. Ralph and Barbara met in the marching band at Marshall University. She played clarinet and he played trumpet. They were married Aug. 19, 1961, and have four children – Tamera (Gary Procop), Christopher (Erica), Amy (Jarvis Lang) and Matthew (Roxy), nine grandchildren (Kinsey, Haley, London, Aidan, Mila, Zachariah, Allia, Presley, Berlin) and two great grandchildren (Walker, Winnie).Ralph was a professor of journalism at Marshall University for 32 years and mentored thousands of students throughout his career. He was born in Huntington March 15, 1939, and was graduated from Huntington Vinson High School in 1957. He received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from Marshall and a Ph.D. in journalism and mass communications from Ohio University. He also studied graphic design at the Rochester (N.Y.) Institute of Technology. Ralph worked as a reporter at The Herald-Dispatch and the Charleston Gazette and editor of The Wayne County News, and also did writing, editing and design work for Marshall and numerous newspapers and companies. He taught at Ohio University and Florida A&M University, but he always cited Barbara, his children and their families as his pride and joy. Dr. Turner and his colleague and lifelong friend, Dr. George Arnold, were widely recognized as among Marshall’s top professors. Ralph took incredible pride in the success of his students and followed them throughout their careers. He will be fondly remembered for his classroom antics and love of bad puns and pranks. The family will receive friends on Wednesday, March 11, 2020 from 6:00-9:00 PM at Henson & Kitchen Mortuary, 6357 E. Pea Ridge Road, Huntington, WV 25705. Funeral services will be conducted on Thursday, March 12, 2020 at Pea Ridge United Methodist Church, Huntington at 11:00 AM. Burial will follow in Ridgelawn Memorial Park, Huntington and will be private for the family. In lieu of flowers, friends may donate to the Arnold-Turner Journalism Scholarship Fund at Marshall University. Online condolences and memories may be shared with the family by visiting www.hensonandkitchen.com