Coach Tom Turner passes away

A sad day in Appy today. Coach Turner passed away at his home. God bless you coach!

Prayers and thoughts to the family, he played the game as long as he could. [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] He sure LOVED his Dawgs.

He was the TOP DAWG! And we all loved him for his dedication to Bulldag football and the LPD. He taught many boys lessons of life, and we'll never forget him.

I am saddened to hear the news. My thoughts & prayers go out to his family. He will be deeply missed.

Dang. What a loss for the Appy, and SWVA football communities. My prayers go out to his entire family and friends. I did not like Coach Turner very well in HS, but after speaking with him a little just before a game and such, I respected the man alot.

Out of curiousity, was this sort of expected with a recent downturn in health, or unexpected? If it does not need to be on the forum, please don't respond, I am just shocked right now.

I don't know what to say other than God Bless and keep his family. [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] I almost cried when I called my dad and told him just now.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. He will be missed.

What he taught wasn't in a book, it got you up in the morning and out to work. Hard to imagine Riggs without him. If people really knew what he went thru to stay with this the last 5 years ...you got to get back to work in a while gang.

My condolences to all of Appy and the LPD...Tom Turner was a helluva coach, but also a great person. It's a loss for us all. My prayers are with the Turner family and all of the region that's affected by this.

this is a sad day for appy but not only them but the lpd all together. i knew tom personelly. i know he will be missed by me and alot of others in this region. God bless you Tom. My prayers are with his family.. if anyone know the arrangement please post them on here.

It is extremely sad for not only all LPD fans, but all fans of football who had the honor of watching an Appalachia team prepare and battle.

Tom Turner will be missed, but he will also be remembered for what he taught and the respect he himself earned, and the respect that he brought and taught his players.

Having heard that Tom's health hadn't been as good, you sort of fear hearing this at anytime, I don't think it was expected, but thankfully he was able to leave more on his terms than otherwise.

My sympathy is with his family, not just his immediate family, but his extended family, which is quite large due to the life he lived.

Dang this is one of those times when u just cant believe it.... Never imagined this morning i would wake up and hear that Coach Turner has died... goes to show you that ur not promised ur next breathe.. One of the most respected men around here...i'm glad he was able to accept his position into the High School Hall of Fame.. he sure deserved it.. He pretty much lived a good life..pretty successful... i heard that he had gotten right with god but i'm not sure on that.. but if he did.. i sure hope he's in a better place now... We will all miss you Coach..

So sorry to hear the news. I will pray for his family.

I only had the pleasure of meeting Tom two or three times, all on a professional basis. You couldn't have asked for a nicer coach. In all my dealings with coaches, I don't know if I ever met a nicer man. He didn't BS you.

My condolences to his family.

I was absolutely floored when I got on today and read that Coach Turner has passed away. He and his family will be in my thoughts and prayers. Southwest Virginia definately lost a very respected man today. All you Dawgs will be in my prayers as well, I know the man was like a father figure to many of you, as well as a best friend. He will be missed!

THIS IS INDEED A SAD DAY,REGARDLESS OF WHAT ALMA MATER YOU HAIL FROM.MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO ALL FAMILY,FRIENDS,COMMUNITY,AND ANY "DAWGS" I MAY HAVE MISSED.IT PAINS ME,BUT THE MAIN "DAWG" HAS GONE HOME TO BE WITH THE LORD.GOD BLESS YOU TOM T,WE'LL ALL MISS YOU,BUT YOU'LL REMAIN IN THE HEARTS OF MANY FOREVER.AGAIN,GOD BLESS.

Post deleted by R0cketer

That was me who posted above, I forgot to log in before I posted. Please delete above post.

Wild week for me in all aspects of life, there has been a loss in my family as I'm attending the funeral tonight along with other things going on this week. This is sad news for not only Appalachia but for everyone that is invovled in Virginia High School Football. As a Viking, I never wanted to loss to Appalachia but I always respected the program. From what I know a great man that was well liked and respected by his players. We lost an icon, hall of famer, and more importantly a great man today.

Here is the arrangements for Coach Turner:

Viewing Saturday, April 29, 2006 - 4:00 ? 7:00 p.m. AHS Gymnasium



Services Saturday, April 29, 2006 - 7:00 p.m. AHS Gymnasium



Burial Sunday, April 30, 2006 - 2:00 p.m. Powell Valley Memorial Gardens

Horrible news. When I played at CW, we never beat them. After every game when I shook his hand you new you were in the presence of a great coach. He was the best coach that I was ever on a field with. In fitting fashion, he fought till the end. He didn't give up in the middle. He made it through his last season no matter how hard it was for him. He's a great coach, he'll be missed, the kids that go to Appy now will never realize how much they're going to miss by him not being there.

Hate to hear about Coach Turner. My friends that played at Appalachia thought a lot of him.

Coach Turner will forever be a legend in Southwest Virginia. He was a hard worker, a class act, and an inspiration to every boy who ever wore shoulder pads in Appalachia. I was fortunate enough to meet and talk with the man several times. He was such a kind hearted person. He truly cared for the kids. He will be missed but his influence will forever be engrained in the hills of Appalachia.

played at Burton, but respected this man everytime I played against him and his Dawgs.. Will be missed and his family will be in my prayers

tom turner was more than a coach, he tuaght us life lessons, how to be respectful to others,he tuaght us the to leave it all out on the field , for the few of us to have played for him we spent more time with him then our own family,hell he was family thanks for everything coach i'll miss you .

This is a really sad day for swva football. I never knew the man but played against appy a couple of times. I wish his family the best of luck on going on with out him.

May God bless his soul and his family. I heard that Coach had given his life to the Lord in the past year or two. That's great news, though I too am saddened by his passing. He was one of a kind.

Tom meant a lot to me. I grew up in Hopewell until I was 14. But every football season, dad would tell me of Tom's heroics during his days in Appy. I was facinated with Tom before I met him. The first time I met him was after the 1989 State game in Madison County. We drove up from Hopewell to watch. The first thing I noticed was the "chipmunk" cheeks he had due to the snuff and how soft he spoke. I couldn't wait to move to Appy and play for a man that I grew up hearing about like a legend. Tom tought me many things. I can only pray that I can teach the kids I coach 1/2 of what I learned. If I accomplish that, these kids will still know a ton. Tom had a gift as a Coach and a people person. I have cut a pasted the below statement I made about Tom on another thread. Tom will be missed and never replaced (dont take that the wrong way. I mean nothing negative towards Travis).

Tom and my Dad (the late Gary Summers) played on the perfect 71 team. That was Tom's senior year. But like you said, he is about 53 or 54. Still too soon to lose a man like that. Love Tom or hate him, he was a top notch guy that cared for ALL of him players. From his own son down to the kid that only came out one year and only seen 5 minutes of playing time all season. Tom made a concious effort to give each kid attention and teach them something about football that they could carry into their adult lives. Deb, Travis, Mandy, and Amber, our thoughts and prayers go out to you. We experienced this with my dad on New Years, so I understand the pain you feel. Just remember that many thoughts and prayers are en route to you and that Tom touched so many lives in so many ways. I loved him like a family member and will miss him terribly. I took my youngest son to see Tom at the Dawghouse just before he retired. He took us around and showed us pictures of when him and dad played. He was a coach, teacher, mentor, husband, and father. May Tom rest in peace and his life live on though memories. God bless you, Turner family.

Tom Turner wasn't only a excellent coach and an awsome athlete...but a good person most of all!!!...
Coach you'll be missed greatly.......

Does anyone know the cause of death?

i hear a heart attack

As of this morning they didn't know the cause of death. It certainly wasnt foreseen.

when i went to school this mornimg and heard the news i was floored. i never knew him personally, never really ever spoke to him. but played against him all 4 years of my high school career at clintwood. after everytime that we played i always shook the man's hand just to show him even though that we were competetors the respect that i had for him. he will be greatly missed but his legacy will live on forever

I cant explain how much Coach Turner meant to the town of Appalachia, To the school, and to all the kids he coached.

My g/f was here when I got the news, and said that she thought something had happened to one of my parents, or brothers. What she didnt understand, is that it pretty much did. Anyone who's ever played for coach turner feels that way about him...He was like a 2nd father, or even the only father figure for some. He was tough on us, and pushed us to the limit...But we were always in great shape, always prepared for the upcoming season, upcoming opponent, and prepared for Life after highschool. We all knew that if we worked as hard as we did for him, that there was nothing we couldnt do. We could accomplish anything.

I was once told by 2 former Bulldogs, who joined the navy, and army, that their bootcamps where a walk in the park compared to Coach Turners 2-a-days. He prepared all of us, for whatever we decided to do, after highschool. He installed an unmatched work ethic in us, he made sure we stayed out of trouble, and if we needed something, he'd make sure we had it.

I think I speak for anyone who has ever put the pads on for coach Turner, be it 1 year, or for 4 years.
Coach Turner was our Coach. He was the best of motivators, The best of Coaches, and the best of friends. Though to the majority of us, he wasnt family....We think of him as family. This phrase is perfect for this situation.
"Once a Dawg, A dawg 4 life"

My prayers are with the Turner family.

last post was from me

well said.....

thought i never knew the guy i had a lot of respect for him. We had a moment of silence before school today at Kelly for him.

All i want to say is.

Thank you all.

For the honor you have shown and the respect you have shown.

Not only for a great man and coach. His Family and friends.
But for a town, school and community that is in pain.

Again Thank You.

Quoted for truth - we at Coeburn did nothing to show respect, and that just about sickened me.

The faculty and administration at Kelly really deserve props, because even just that moment of silence shows that they at least care for the community of Appalachia and how devastating the loss of Turner really is to everyone in our area.

Maybe some of us at Coeburn didn't know the guy, but he sounded like a great guy though :)

Yeah, I asked several people today if they heard about his death and like 90% of the time I got a "Who?" "No.. who is he?"

Unbelievable... they really, REALLY missed out. Appy football won't be the same without him.