NRMCA Notes Death of Robert P. Turner

Robert P. Turner, of La Quinta, CA, died July 14 at the age of 86 after a short illness. A Philadelphia native, he is survived by his spouse, Carol, and his daughter Traci Turner Melley and her husband, James Melley, and his son R. Christopher, his siblings, John F. Turner and another brother Arthur Turner who predeceased Mr. Turner as well as his granddaughter, Courtney Sylvander and her husband, Greg Sylvander and his great grandchildren, James Riley and Amelia Grace.

Mr. Turner was a longtime and influential figure in the ready mixed concrete business and played key roles in many NRMCA and industry initiatives over decades of service. After graduating from high school in Philadelphia, he completed the General Management program at the Harvard Business school in Cambridge, MA, in the early 1970’s. He began his career in the concrete and cement industries working in sales for a Northern Virginia precast company in the early 1960’s. In 1965, Mr. Turner was hired by the W.R. Grace Construction Products Division. With W.R. Grace, he took positions with increasing responsibility which included moves to Florida, New Jersey and Illinois and ultimately to company headquarters in Cambridge, MA. He retired in 1999 yet continued working diligently within the ready mix industry.

Mr. Turner was one of the key leaders behind such important industry initiatives as the RMC 2000 program and the Concrete Industry Management program. He was also the first chairman of the NRMCA Materials Division which organized supplier companies to support important industry initiatives. In 1999, Mr. Turner was the first recipient of the NRMCA Chairman’s Award for extraordinary service and dedication to the concrete industry. He along with several other industry leaders traveled extensively to promote and to raise funds for the development of the RMC Research & Education Foundation. Mr. Turner was elected as a Lifetime Honorary Member of the NRMCA Board of Directors in March 2007.

The Turner family is planning a private service. In lieu of sending flowers, the family has asked that donations can be made in memory of Robert P. Turner to the RMC Research & Education Foundation, 66 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 250, Alexandria, VA 22314 or can be sent secure online to www.rmc-foundation.org/contribute and denote in the comment section “In Memory of Robert P. Turner”.