Robert Starling Turley, Jr.

Robert Starling Turley, Jr. 92, cherished husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, died peacefully on August 21, 2022. He had the head of a wise businessman, the heart of a true friend, the honest bones of George Washington, and the soul of a devoted disciple of Christ.

Bob was born on May 4, 1930, in Glendive, Montana, to Robert S. Turley and Julia Ann Dixon Ayers, who soon divorced. His early years were during the Great Depression in Kansas City, Missouri, cared for by his mother’s relatives when she became ill. At eight years old, just before his mother’s death, Bob was sent to live with his father and stepmother, Elsie Ropp Turley, in Logan, Utah. During World War II, his father was stationed overseas and then in Miami, Florida, where Bob lived in the 8th and 9th grades before returning to Utah.

From a young age, Bob was hard-working, resilient, gregarious, confident, and adventurous. His sterling business career started in 5th grade and included such varied jobs as paperboy, golf caddy, YMCA camp counselor, onion farmer, photo developer, butcher, and stream and snow pack gauger. He was an academic standout, student-body officer, and star football player in high school.

An avid athlete, he attended Utah State University on a football scholarship but soon discovered he couldn’t both play football and major in Civil Engineering, and the academics won out. He was elected a member of Blue Key Society and was Cadet Colonel of the ROTC wing.

After graduating from college, Bob found his professional strength was in business management and would be a highly recruited executive by major corporations over his career. He held executive positions with Marquart, Delco, Philco Ford, and several entities within the Teledyne conglomerate. However, the job he most treasured was Managing Director of Operational Audit for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a position he held for 16 years until his retirement in 1996.

Bob had the great blessing of being married to two wonderful women. He married Maurine Johnson in 1952 prior to their senior year at Utah State. After raising their family of five children in Woodland Hills, California, they spent their last years together in Bountiful, Utah, where Maurine passed away in 1997. Bob then married Faun Okerlund Hansen and they were a delightful couple who shared great strength and companionship with each other for the next 25 years.

Bob joined the Church when he was 20 years old and never looked back. He was a caring, wise, and beloved Church leader. In California he served as Bishop of the Woodland Hills Ist Ward and as a member of the Canoga Park Stake Presidency. In 1987 he and Maurine were called to preside over the Arkansas Little Rock Mission and he maintained an enduring relationship with the missionaries who served with them. Later, Bob and Faun served in the London England Mission from 1998 to 2000.

Bob left a legacy of faith, service, wisdom, humor, independence, unselfishness, honesty, and love.

Bob is survived by his wife, Faun Okerlund Hansen Turley, children R. Steven (Deon), Pamela, Jeffrey (Susan Quebbeman), Tod (Lindie), and Timothy (Debbie), as well as Faun’s children, Ruthanne (Scott) Jackson, Erin (John) Henrie, Kent (Heather), and Lyssa (Rees) Jensen. He also leaves a lasting legacy for many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Maurine Johnson Turley, brother Gerald, and his parents.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, August 27, 2022, at 11:30 a.m. at the chapel on 1945 West 9000 South, West Jordan, UT 84088. Viewings will be held at the same location on Friday, August 26, 2022, from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturday morning from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Interment in Bountiful Cemetery.

Services will be streamed live on the Russon Mortuary & Crematory Facebook page and on this obituary page.  The live stream will begin about 10-15 minutes prior to the service and will be posted below.