Wayne Turner, the head football at Bassett from 1966 to 1973, passed away this morning.
Coach Turner was a Henry County native that proved that you can accomplish whatever you truly want. Wayne was part of a very large family that lost their father when they were all young. Capitalizing on the his mother's pride and work ethic, Wayne put himself through UVA, obtaining a Master's degree.
It was this determination that Coach Turner instilled in his students and athletes during his career in education. Coach Turner's football teams always earned the respect of their opponents, on and off the field. His players were known for their grit and determination, but more importantly, they always were reconized for their sportsmanship and fair play.
Coach Turner's football teams won twice as many games as they lost, making them a threat every Friday night. Coach Turner has an unusual note to his record. His first game as head coach ended in a tie, and his last game, eight seasons later ended in a tie.
Wayne Turner moved here to Dinwiddie in 1973, and soon became a friend, a mentor, and the best damn neighbor a person could ever hope to have. He taught me so much about life, and about living life the proper way. It would take me a 100 pages or more to describe what he taught me.
I will miss my dear friend, but I'm glad his suffering has ended. Kidney failure led to a serious decline in his health in recent months. But not one single time, did I ever hear him complain, or utter one word of self pity.
Wayne was a devout Christian. He told friends and family members many times in recent weeks that he was ready to go join Jesus. He told his daughter one day recently, as confusion began to cloud his conversations, that Jesus was a great cook, and cooked the best hamburgers. In fact, it was a reference to this that informed me of his passing. His daughter texted me early this morning that, "dad is enjoying a biscuit in heaven with Jesus this morning!"
Coach Turner, we are all better people for having known you.
Coach Turner was a Henry County native that proved that you can accomplish whatever you truly want. Wayne was part of a very large family that lost their father when they were all young. Capitalizing on the his mother's pride and work ethic, Wayne put himself through UVA, obtaining a Master's degree.
It was this determination that Coach Turner instilled in his students and athletes during his career in education. Coach Turner's football teams always earned the respect of their opponents, on and off the field. His players were known for their grit and determination, but more importantly, they always were reconized for their sportsmanship and fair play.
Coach Turner's football teams won twice as many games as they lost, making them a threat every Friday night. Coach Turner has an unusual note to his record. His first game as head coach ended in a tie, and his last game, eight seasons later ended in a tie.
Wayne Turner moved here to Dinwiddie in 1973, and soon became a friend, a mentor, and the best damn neighbor a person could ever hope to have. He taught me so much about life, and about living life the proper way. It would take me a 100 pages or more to describe what he taught me.
I will miss my dear friend, but I'm glad his suffering has ended. Kidney failure led to a serious decline in his health in recent months. But not one single time, did I ever hear him complain, or utter one word of self pity.
Wayne was a devout Christian. He told friends and family members many times in recent weeks that he was ready to go join Jesus. He told his daughter one day recently, as confusion began to cloud his conversations, that Jesus was a great cook, and cooked the best hamburgers. In fact, it was a reference to this that informed me of his passing. His daughter texted me early this morning that, "dad is enjoying a biscuit in heaven with Jesus this morning!"
Coach Turner, we are all better people for having known you.
