William F. "Cotton" Turner Sr.

Services for William Franklin “Cotton” Turner, 89 of Tyler, Texas, will be held on Thursday, May 17, at 11:00 a.m. at Marvin United Methodist Church with Reverend Dr. Doug Baker and Reverend Gerry Giles officiating. A private burial will precede the service at Rose Hill Cemetery under the direction of Stewart Family Funeral Home. There will be a reception following the service at Horton Hall. Cotton was born November 17, 1928 in Smackover, Arkansas to John W. Turner and Virginia Coleman Turner. He lived in Kilgore, Texas and attended Kilgore Junior High School and Kilgore High School where he was president of his class. He received a Bachelor of Liberal Arts Degree from the University of Texas in Austin in 1951. From 1951 to 1954, Cotton served his country in the U.S. Army as a Special Undercover Agent in the Counter Intelligence Division in the Bunter-Intelligence Corps. He was stationed in Salzburg, Linz, and Vienna Austria, and performed undercover work in the Russian Zone. Following his service in the U.S. Army, he attended the University of Texas Law School and received his Doctor of Jurisprudence Degree in 1956. He married Etheldra Adams Turner “Punkin", in 1954 and was admitted to the Texas State Bar in 1956. In August of 1956, Punkin and Cotton moved to Tyler, where he worked for Humble Oil and Refining Company and Exxon Company U.S.A. from 1956 until 1981 and Exxon Coal Resources, USA Office in Tyler from 1981 until he retired in 1986. Cotton served as President of the Humble Federal Credit Union of Tyler. Cotton was a member of the Texas Bar Association, the Smith County Bar Association, The Texas Mineral Institute, East Texas Association of Petroleum Landmen, American Association of Petroleum Landmen and was a board member of Hard Mineral Division Landmen. Cotton was a member of Marvin United Methodist Church where he served as president of the Chapel Sunday School Class. He served as President of the Tyler Tennis and Swim club and was chairman of “East Texas Open Tennis Tournament. Cotton had passion for both The University of Texas and The University of Texas at Tyler (UT Tyler). He has served on the UT Tyler College of Engineering Advisory Council since 2008 and on the parent UT Tyler Development Board since 2012. He and Punkin have established several endowed scholarships at UT Tyler including the Margaret DeLoach Adams Memorial Scholarship and the Cotton and Punkin Turner Scholarship. In addition, they made a gift to fund the Cotton and Punkin Executive Conference Room which is part of the engineering dean’s administrative suite in the College of Engineering and are long time supporters of the Cowan Center. Cotton was preceded in death by his parents, and one brother, Wallace Turner. He is survived by his wife, Punkin, son, Dr. William Franklin Turner, Jr. and wife Jody of Tyler, daughter, Carol Turner Woolley and husband Buddy of Longview, and son, John Samuel Turner of Galveston; grandchildren Franklin Turner of Dallas, Chloe Turner of Tyler, Hudson Johnson of Longview, Lauren Anne Brookshire and husband Wood of Dallas, Rachel Turner, Cotton Turner, Margaret Turner, and Sam Turner all of Houston. Cotton was a devoted and loving husband, father, and grandfather who enjoyed spending time with his family. He had a contagious sense of humor and wit. He will be remembered by everyone who knew him as a true gentleman with the utmost integrity who showed kindness to all. He was an avid outdoorsman who especially enjoyed spending time at his ranch in Robertson County. Honorary Pallbearers will be David Ashcraft, Jim Deakins, Jan Garrett, Morris Gary, David Hudson, Allen Locklin, Jimmy Russell, Glenn Taylor, and Bernie Ward and Butch Walter.

William F. "Cotton" Turner Sr.

November 17, 1928 - May 13, 2018