BURGAW — Jackie “Jack” V. Turlington, age 82 moved from his earthly home to his heavenly home on September 6, 2025, having lived a full and interesting life.
Born in Erwin, NC on September 21, 1942, he grew up in Harnett County working at a variety of jobs since he was a young boy – everything from selling jars and bottles he picked up on the roadside to the local ‘moonshiners’ to working in contract farm work with his father. Always curious, he loved learning about everything from catching turtles and fishing with his grandfather to quilting and gardening with his mother.
Jack was married and had 3 young boys to provide for by the age of 23, so he took a job with the NC Dept. of Correction where he worked until his retirement in 1998. In his career, he worked at Central Prison, Harnett Prison, Forsyth Prison as well as in the Area Office in Greensboro and Graham, NC, holding the positions of Correctional Officer, Sergeant, and Special Ass’t. to the Area Administrator during a time of changes of how prisons were operated. He returned to Forsyth Prison as Superintendent then transferred to Pender Correctional Center as Superintendent. While at Pender, he oversaw the expansion of the facility from a 150 inmate facility with 75 staff to a 750 inmate Institution and 350 staff. He was promoted to Correctional Administrator during this expansion. He retired from DOC in 1998. Upon retirement, he received The Order of the Long Leaf Pine award from Gov. James B. Hunt.
Jack had an early and lifelong love of fishing and gardening. He taught himself to cook, and made delicious BBQ which he loved sharing at church dinners. He loved building, and built two homes in Pender County, and a beautiful fence to help him pass the time while waiting for his liver transplant. He loved the dogs he and his wife Linda had over the years, Morgan, LaKota, and Dixie. He was a member and Past Master of King Solomon Lodge #138 AF & AM, Burgaw, and Sudan Shriners.
He loved his Lord and church, having served as an Elder at Pike-Rocky Point Presbyterian Church (Rocky Point), a Men’s Fellowship Leader at Friendly Community Baptist Church (Burgaw) and Sparta Presbyterian Church (Sparta, NC). He always believed God was working in his life because of the miracle of his transplant, and the gift of life from his donor, as well as all the events leading to and after his transplant. He was currently a member of Poston Baptist Church, Wallace, NC.
Jack married his best friend and love of his life, Linda, in 1998 and they shared the joy of traveling and camping all across the country, including a 3 month trip to the west coast and back. These travels led Jack and Linda to move to Glade Valley, NC where they lived and loved the mountain life for 10 years before returning to Burgaw due to his health. While living in Glade Valley, Jack reconnected with many of his former DOC co-workers who lived in the area, and enjoyed sharing stories of “The Good Old Days”. Some of these stories “grew with each telling”, and he’d laugh later saying that he must not have been there, because of how different each story was from his memory of it.
Jack was preceded in death by his parents Ralph and Nellie Turlington, son Jackie V. Turlington, Jr., and sister Joyce Denton. Jack loved all his family and is survived by his wife Linda, son Jeffrey Paul Turlington (Erika), Matthew Turlington, step daughter Sunna Brown (Timothy), Grandchildren Leah Zuver (Zachary), Shanon Turlington, Austin (AJ) Perdew (Mackenzie), and Sydney Frizzelle (Cody), Great Grandchildren Kayden, Brylee, Silas, Nathan, Mason, Lilly and Maren, brother Floyd Turlington (Alice), Coats, NC; sister Faye Cornell (Tucson, AZ); and sister Elizabeth (Libby) Cockrell, Angier NC., and many extended family members.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at Quinn-McGowan Funeral Home Burgaw Chapel on Friday, September 12, 2025 at 2:00 P.M. with Pastor Chris Jarman conducting the service. The family will receive friends at the funeral home following the service.
A private internment will take place at a later date.
Memorials are requested to Poston Baptist Church Building Fund, your home church, Shriners Hospitals for Children, or St. Judes.
Shared memories and condolences may be sent to the family here.
