Judge James Clinton Turk Sr. Obituary (1923 - 2014)

Born May 03, 1923, Judge James Clinton Turk Sr. attended William Byrd High School in Vinton, VA. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Judge James Clinton Turk Sr..

Graduation Year	Class of 1939
Date of Birth	May 03, 1923
Date of Passing	Jul 06, 2014
About	United States District Court Judge James Turk Sr. who presided in Roanoke's federal court for 42 years, died Sunday. The 91-year-old senior jurist died at home Sunday evening surrounded by his loving family. He was predeceased in death by his father, James Alexander Turk, his mother, Geneva Alice Richardson Turk, his sister, Margaret and is survived by his brother, S. Maynard Turk and wife Pat; his beloved wife, Barbara Duncan Turk; and his children, Ramona Turk, Jimmy Turk and wife Allison, Bobby Turk and wife Laura, Mary Turk Prince and husband Scott, and Michael Turk and wife Barbara. "Judge" was an amazing grandfather and friend to Margo Lapitino, Laura Lapitino, Sarah Lapitino, Matt Turk, Adam Turk, Maggie Turk, Zach Turk, Holt Turk, Anna Turk, Lindsey Turk, Katie Turk, Alana Turk, Olivia Gravley, Shaan Goswami, and Monica Goswami. He is also survived by his beloved dog, Baby Girl. Judge grew up on a farm in Roanoke County. He graduated from William Byrd High School and went on to serve in the Army and graduated from Roanoke College on the GI Bill. Upon graduating, he won a scholarship to Washington & Lee University School of Law. Judge practiced law with the Radford firm of Dalton, Poff & Turk for many years. He served in the state Senate from 1959 to 1972 and as Senate minority leader from 1965 to 1972. In October 1972, Nixon appointed Judge to the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia. He presided over a number of high-profile cases - including the 1981 libel case the Rev. Jerry Falwell filed against Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt. Judge claimed senior status in 2002, at the 30-year mark. A successor was appointed at that time, but Judge continued hearing cases frequently. He said in May he planned to curtail his judicial work significantly in November. No matter the court case, Judge was always accompanied by his loyal and faithful canine companion, Baby Girl. Never more than two steps behind him, Baby Girl went to work daily with Judge and was at his side for every decision or ruling, even until the end. "Judge's long list of charitable work and public service includes serving as President of the Roanoke College Alumni Association, as a member of Roanoke College's Society of 1842, on the Boards of Directors for the Radford University Foundation and the C.E. Richardson Foundation, and as a trustee for the Radford Community Hospital. In 1996, Roanoke College awarded Judge Turk an honorary Doctor of Laws degree for his service and devotion to the College." He was also a member of First Baptist Church in Radford, Rotary International, Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Beta Kappa, and Pi Kappa Phi, in which he was his chapter's president and later served as the National President. Despite his cunning intellect, Judge never quite mastered the Internet or email. Nevertheless, his skilled judicial assistant Shirley Simpson and his amazing law clerks never failed to keep his office up to date and ready to tackle any challenge that was thrown their way. Just as much as his legal prestige, Judge was known for his humor and joyful spirit. He loved nothing more than sitting at the lake, sipping on Diet Dr. Pepper, and snacking on chocolate covered raisins while being surrounded by his grandchildren, eager to hear his next joke or story. Special thanks are extended to Duke Medical Center and the incredible staff of nurses and doctors who worked around the clock, including Dr. Jolly Graham, Intrepid Hospice, and hospice care nurse Shanna Davis. Visitation will be from noon to 3 p.m. on Friday, July 11, 2014 with a memorial service immediately following at First Baptist Church.