Austin H. Turney

** A Celebration of Life for Austin Turney will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 28 2023 at Trinity Episcopal Church in Lawrence.  Music by Trinity Choir and KU Classical Music Department Ensemble. **

Austin Henry Turney died in hospice care in Lawrence, Kansas on July 13, 2022. Austin was born in Lawrence, Kansas February 25, 1929 the son of Austin Henry Turney and Emily Payetta Turney. He grew up in Lawrence and graduated from University High School, Lawrence and the University of Kansas with a BS in Business.

He served in the US Army 28th Division during the Korean War period January 1951 to December 1952. The 28th Division did occupation duty in Bavaria, Germany.

After Army service, he worked as an accountant for Price Waterhouse in Kansas City, Missouri and then in New York City, NY. In New York City, he met and later married on June 10, 1961 his wife of 55 years, Ruth Anderson Turney. Ruth passed away on October 9, 2016 and they are both survived by a son, Austin Charles Turney of Lawrence, KS.

He was active in the Episcopal Church for more than 65 years from Trinity Church, Wall Street, New York City through Trinity Episcopal Church, Newtown, CT and since retirement returning to Trinity Episcopal, Lawrence, KS. He served as vestry member and senior warden of Trinity Church, Newtown, on several committees and the executive council of the Diocese of Connecticut, as deputy to the 71st General Convention and later on the vestry of Trinity Church, Lawrence. He was a lay Eucharistic minister.

As owner of the 1863 Samuel Riggs House in Lawrence he enjoyed telling 3rd graders each spring the story of the Riggs House, Judge Samuel Riggs and their connections with Quantrill’s raid.

As a student of military history he made, with his wife, many tours to sites involved with the Civil War, and the conflicts during the frontier expansion of the United States. They also studied conflicts and traveled in Western Europe and the Caribbean in company with a British military history tour company.

He had a life-long interest in railroads, was a member of and attended several national conferences of National Railway Historical Society.

He lived during 40 years of his working career in the New York City area and then in Danbury and Bethel, CT. Starting as an accountant (CPA) with Price Waterhouse. He continued on in business as Treasurer of the Kanthal Corporation, Danbury, CT, Business Manager of the Redding-Easton public school system in CT and with the Peale Center for Christian Living, Pawling NY.

He retired with Ruth in 1994 returning to Lawrence, KS and the family’s historic property. He was active in the church and many groups in Lawrence, for example as a reader at Kansas Audio-Reader from 1995 to 2020 where he enjoyed reading regional newspapers to a live audience. He was elected to the board of Lawrence Public Schools and served on the school board from 1997 to 2005 and was President for 2 years. He felt the school board was an exceptionally valuable and rewarding nearly full-time unpaid job and retained a strong continuing interest and activities regarding Lawrence schools since then.

Survivors include his son in Lawrence, KS as well as family in Yakima, WA, California and Georgia.

Memorials may be made in his name to the Nature Conservancy, Kansas Chapter, Topeka, KS or the Douglas County Community Foundation, Lawrence, KS. and may be sent in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary, 120 W. 13th Street, Lawrence, KS 66044.

Memorial service will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church, Lawrence, KS with date to be announced.