Lyman Ockington Turner, 83, passed away in Hemet, Cal. on July 25. He was born Aug. 2, 1924 in Worcester, Mass. to Dwight Lyman Turner and Ruth Conant Whitney. Lyman was raised in Jefferson with his three younger siblings. He graduated from Portland High School in June of 1942.
He graduated from the Navy’s “Academy of the Air” in Pensacola, Fla. as ensign and pilot in September 1944 and served active duty time aboard carriers in the Atlantic area until June 1946. From 1946 to 1948, he roamed around our beautiful country as a driver for Mayflower and then United Van Lines.
He met Marie, his wife, in a roller skating rink in Buffalo, N.Y. in 1948 and was married in February 1949. They then traveled to Inglewood and Torrance, Cal. a week later on their honeymoon and never returned to live full time on the east coast.
Lyman graduated from California Flyers as an A & E Mechanic in 1950 and worked for McCulloch Motors Corp. for five years, first in their production shop on gear cutters Hobbs & broaches; then moved to the experimental shop on helicopters and steam engines.
Lyman went back into the service for the U.S. Navy in 1954 for training as pilot in “lighter than air” and graduated in November 1954 at Brunswick, Ga. Lyman had 11 years and 8 months of service time with the U.S. Navy Air Corp when he retired.
From 1956 to 1960, Lyman and Marie operated a business known as Century Helicopter Service, where they overhauled and repaired rotor blades, both main and tail, for customers from as far away as Brazil, New Zealand, the Philippines, Alaska and the east coast.
From 1960 to 1962, Lyman worked as experimental technician for Houston-Fearless Corp. on missile ground support development and during a slow period in 1962 the family had an offer to manage a recreational ranch in Anza, Cal. known as Hidden Valley Ranch.
Lyman and his family stayed at the ranch as manager for one year and then moved to Anza, Cal. where he started working for a contactor in Idyllwild, Cal. After one year he began his own remodel and repair business in Anza, Cal., which he continued for the next 44 years, working on many homes and meeting many new community members. As in many small communities there were many jobs to keep a family going. Lyman and Marie had a 24 hour ice house business, a western clothing store, then bought a feed store and combined the feed, tack, western clothing and gift items into one business on the highway, that business was sold sometime in the late 1970s.
Lyman filled an unexpired term of two years as a member of the board of directors for the Anza Electric Coop in 1964 and 1965. He also served the community for 25 plus years with the Anza Volunteer Fire Company. He also served on the Anza Civic Improvement League, The Anza Community Hall and has spent more than 44 years working on the Anza Mutual Water Company, as a board member and as the repair and maintenance person.
Lyman is preceded in death by his wife of 44 years, H. Marie Lapczenski Turner (1993) and his parents.
He is survived by his son, Wayne W. Turner (Charlene) of Pocatello, Ida.; daughter, Lynne M. Jackson (Fletcher) of Prescott Valley, Ariz.; granddaughter, Shawna L. Stewart (Donald) of Fenton, Mo.; brother, Ralph W. Turner (Hazel) of Hollis Center; sisters, Jeannette B. Hemingway of Jefferson, and D. Amy Alexander (Thomas) of Silver Springs, Md.; sister-in-law and brother-in-law Cecelia and Richard Pelkey of Duanesbury, N.Y.; brothers-in-law, Joseph and Robert Lapczenski; step brother, C. Don Ostrander of Orofino, Ida., and numerous nieces and nephews.