Michael Dean Turvey

Michael “Mike” Dean Turvey, 77, died on December 26th, 2023, after entering the hospital six weeks ago for heart complications. Before going into the hospital, he was vibrant and enjoyed his daily trips to the gym to walk on the treadmill, his breakfasts with buddies at “The Table of Knowledge,” investing in the stock market, playing Wordle, creating e-books for sale on Amazon, hanging with his grandkids in Oklahoma and Georgia, and baking premade cookies for Dominos night at church.

Born on August 26, 1946 to Forrest and Louise Turvey of Waverly, Kansas, Mike is preceded in death by his parents, his brother Jon Paul Turvey, and his loving wife Carolyn Ann (Hinz) Turvey. He is survived by his two sons and seven grandchildren – Matthew (b 1974), married to Nicole (Schlemmer) Turvey and their four children, Braeden, Alexis, Andrew, and Maia; and Marshall (b 1976), married to Tara (Watson) Turvey and their three children, Ben, Sam, and Josie.

Mike grew up in Waverly, Kansas. He played baseball and basketball and rode his bike all over town. He also loved reading books in a tree by the library, fishing, and learning about science via mail order chemistry sets that would definitely be illegal for children to purchase these days. He enjoyed working for his Uncle Glen, a WWII photographer that owned and operated the town newspaper.

Mike attended what is now Emporia State University to study biology. He met the love of his life, Carolyn Ann Hinz, while they were both students there. After a courtship that may or may not have started with a date counting tsetse flies for a science project (they never quite agreed on this one…), Mike and Carolyn married in Atchison, KS on December 31st, 1967. The young couple moved to Lawrence, KS after college, where Mike earned his Masters degree in environmental science. They moved to Kansas City, KS where Mike worked first for Thompson Hayward Chemical Company in a laboratory setting, and shortly thereafter gaining employment at the newly formed Environmental Protection Agency, where he worked for over 30 years until his retirement in the early 2000’s. After retirement, Mike enjoyed spending time with Carolyn and his grandkids. The two took many trips to unique locations around the country and world, letting people know about the progress of their “Rambling Retiree Roadtrips” through social media. A distance that could be covered in four hours nearly always took at least eight…so they could “savor the adventure,” as Mike often said.

Mike was passionate and serious about his faith. Throughout his life, he was an elder and/or active member at Roeland Park United Methodist Church, Nall Avenue Baptist Church, Antioch Family Worship Center, Grace Christian Fellowship Church, and Victory Church in Edmond, OK. While a young father, Mike consistently led his family in a mealtime prayer that started  – “Our gracious heavenly father, we pause to thank you for these blessings of food and life and love and the family you’ve provided…” a homespun liturgy still remembered by his sons. Over the years of his working career, Mike was a faithful and generous giver to his local church and to numerous charitable organizations that helped provide safe drinking water in developing countries. He traveled to Colombia, the Solomon Islands, Liberia – but his heart was mostly in Haiti. Mike and Carolyn loved missionaries, always welcoming them into their home, and visited numerous missionaries around the world while on vacation.

Mike was also passionate and engaged with his family. He doted on his wife Carolyn and loved spending time with her. As Carolyn’s health began seriously failing before her death in 2021, Mike was her tireless medical taxi, pharmacist assistant, scheduler, and caregiver. He never complained and counted it a pleasure and honor to serve his wife. He set the marriage bar high for his sons. In addition to his role as husband, Mike was a loving father throughout his life. He coached baseball for his son’s teams, helped them build Pinewood derby cars, and attended all his son’s sporting and scholastic events. He loved taking his boys to the dollar movie theater when they were young. To the delight of his boys, he flummoxed his wife many nights at the family dinner table with slightly gross jokes. He modeled patience, humility, perseverance, and service. Mike loved his grandchildren deeply and worked hard to help provide a legacy for them.

Mike wasn’t one that sought the spotlight. Instead, he preferred authenticity and consistency in pursuing truth and goodness in his walk with Jesus and what that meant for his everyday living. He was a man of utmost integrity; his word was his bond. He loved best in actions over words, and always put his money where his mouth was – giving generously to causes of Christian justice, mercy, and charity throughout his life. Mike will be celebrated and missed dearly by those who had the blessing to know and love him.

Memorial services for Mike will be held at 11am on January 6th, 2023, at the Amos Family Funeral Home at 10901 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, KS, followed by a graveside service in Effingham, KS. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Water Mission , a Christian organization providing safe water, sanitation, and hygiene solutions in developing countries.