Charles and Liza Turner are pictured here in this photo, a few years ago, with their son Isiah and their daughter Caroline. Say hello to Liza, Isiah and Caroline this weekend, and if you have one, share a story of yours about Coach Charles. We all miss him dearly.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6 - The inaugural Charles Turner Scholarship Bowling Extravaganza (also being called Bowling for Boo ... Charles' nickname) starts at 1 p.m. Saturday at Laurel Bowling Alley, Laurel Avenue, Binghamton.
The event is being held to raise funds for the Charles Turner Memorial Scholarship at Johnson City schools (Charles was employed by the JC schools). For more information about the JC scholarship fund in Charles' name, click this link.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 7 - The Coach Charles Turner Classic basketball tournament will feature 14 teams of student/athletes from schools representing numerous districts across the region. Team will play 3 games each in the day-long (8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) tournament at the downtown Binghamton YMCA. The event is hosted by the Y and the Binghamton Travel Basketball program.
Teams that will play in Sunday's tournament: Binghamton 6, Binghamton 5, Whitney Point 6, Whitney Point 5, Athens (Pa.) 6, Athens (Pa.) 5, Susquehanna Valley 6, Susquehanna Valley 5, Maine-Endwell 6, Chenango Valley 6, Owego Apalachin 6, Owego Apalachin 5, and two Vestal 6 teams.
A portion of the proceeds from the tournament will go toward the Charles Turner Scholarship.
Clink here to go directly to the schedule of games for the day, listed team-by-team, as well as chronologically.
Did You Know Coach Charles?
Charles Turner was a lot of things to a lot of people, but one thing that seemed to bring those things - and those people - together was athletics.
Coach Charles was born in Delhi, Louisiana, and was raised by his grandparents on their family’s farm. He attended Wood Junior College in Matheson, Mississippi and Mississippi State University. Of course, he played basketball at each stop.
His "salt of the earth" presence was rooted in Southern basics, and that translated to his life after college. Coach Charles always worked in professions that involved helping people. He worked in a group home for developmentally disabled adults in Delhi, and coached Special Olympics. After moving to Las Vegas where he lived for more than 20 years, Charles worked for the State of Nevada in the Department of Mental Health. Charles had a strong sense of fairness and treated everyone equally.
Charles’ sense of justice led him to be President of SEIU Local 1864 in Las Vegas and to later work for SEIU and AFSCME as an organizer. He worked for several years at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas as a skycap, which suited his friendly nature.
In 2004, Charles moved his family to Binghamton, Liza’s hometown, and here is where he found his true home and his calling. He worked as a teaching assistant in the Solution Station at Johnson City Intermediate School, and all the students at JC were "his kids." He always had a hug, a smile and a high-5 for everyone he met. Charles’ smile lit up a room and his laugh could be heard for a country mile.
Coach Charles was involved with Binghamton Travel basketball and YMCA basketball teams, and helped Little League, as well. He was enthusiastic and passed on his love of both sports through his encouragement, stories and example.
The last few years, the annual tune-up tournament has been held as a precursor for the competitive Slim Sylvester AAU/Rage season. This year it has been renamed to honor Coach Charles. The idea came from the YMCA’s youth director, Dan Smith, and was immediately adopted.
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