Larry Turner, an attorney and member of Williamson’s Board of Trustees since 2003, died April 22.
William Bonenberger 7W9, board chairman, said, “We truly lost a member of the Williamson family. This loss is something we are all having a really difficult time wrapping our heads around. It’s left a huge and sudden void in our souls that can’t be filled. The best we can hope for is to learn to live with it over time and remember what an incredible human being he was. Our hearts go out to his wife Cynthia and their entire family. I can’t imagine what they are going through. It takes a very special person to commit over two decades of his life to an institution he didn’t attend. Larry loved Williamson’s mission. He loved the opportunity it offered to young men to become respected leaders and productive members of society. Despite all the rigors and time commitments it took to build the very successful legal career that Larry built, he was always committed to doing everything he could for Williamson and for the young men who attend. Larry was one of the most calm and wise men I ever had the opportunity to work with. When he offered his opinion in a board or committee meeting people listened intently because we all had the utmost respect for him. God Bless Larry Turner – were going to miss him.”
President Michael Rounds said, “We were shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden and unexpected passing of our long-serving trustee and dear friend, Larry Turner. During his 22 years of service as a trustee, he contributed an incredible amount of his time, talent, and treasure to helping us further Williamson’s mission. He was passionate about Williamson and was universally respected for his outstanding character, integrity, and humility. He exemplified the core values of Williamson and was a man of great faith and a great husband, father, and grandfather for his family. He inspired as we witnessed those traits in him. He was a great source of advice as a colleague, but his energy, enthusiasm, and sense of humor made him a great friend to me personally. He will be greatly missed by all of us. At this difficult time for his family, we ask you to keep them in your prayers.”
Turner was most recently chair of the Governance Committee and member of the Personnel Committee, and earlier was on the Student Recruitment Committee.
He served nearly 40 years in the law field, beginning at Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads LLP and later at Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP, where he was a partner in Labor and Employment Practice. He also was co-leader of the firm’s Workplace Culture Consulting and Training Practice and former co-leader of the Diversity Committee. He retired in 2024.
Turner believed in the importance of education and giving back to his community and also served on the board of directors of several educational institutions including the William Penn Charter School and the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine.
As an attorney, he handled many complex commercial litigation matters before transitioning to employment counseling and litigation, such as discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination claims. He was selected numerous times to receive the title of Pennsylvania Super Lawyer.
In 1989, he proposed the idea to the Barristers Association of Philadelphia of hosting a breakfast each year in observance of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King. Most recently, it attracted nearly 750 lawyers, judges, elected officials, and members of the Philadelphia community.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree at the University of North Carolina and a Juris Doctor at Georgetown University Law Center.
He enjoyed football, fencing, martial arts, yoga, tai chi, photography, reading and watching sports.
He is survived by his wife, Cynthia Turner; four children: Hillary Redmond (Charles II), Nicholas Turner, Alexander Turner, and Grace Turner; and two grandchildren: Elizabeth and Charlotte Redmond.
