CLIVE JAMES FORGIE TURNER 1936-2019 (E 50-54)
Sadly the OS Club has been informed that Clive Turner has passed away at the age of 83. Please see the following edited eulogy from brother-in-law Robert Blayney, with additional Sedbergh information provided by lifelong friend Sir David Kelly, CBE (SH 50-55).
Clive was born on September 16th 1936 in Calcutta, where his father was working with James Finlay & Co. Glasgow. The family was unable to return to Britain until the war ended, when Jim Turner bought a farm in Kirkcudbright and became a dairy farmer. The Turner family had strong connections with Sedbergh School. His father Jim Turner (J.F.A.Turner) (E 1923-1928) had gained his Rugby Colours in 1927 and grandfather, George Turner (E 1887-1892), had captained the rugby XV in 1891. Thus, Clive became the third-generation Turner at Sedbergh in 1950. He was Head of School and in the rugby 1st XV during his last year, 1954. The Sedberghian of December 1954 notes, “We have to congratulate…the Head of School C. J. F. Turner on achieving his 1st XV Colours – without which he would hardly have been fit company for either his father, who gained his Colours in 1927, or his grandfather, who captained the XV in 1891.”
It was during this time that Clive played on the same 1st XV as Tony Hudson (E 50-55), with whom he shared a great friendship which lasted throughout his life. Indeed, all his life, Clive had a strong bond with the school, even remembering the words of school songs by heart.
In 1955 he started National Service in the Navy. This was unusual – for an OS not to be commissioned in the Army during National Service – but also to achieve a commission in the Royal Navy was even less usual and harder to achieve, signifying great quality. Afterwards, Clive entered St.John’s College, Cambridge in September 1957, as he turned 21. Sir David Kelly notes, “The record of Heads of School shows: C J F Turner (E 50-54), followed by A C Hogarth (W 49-55), followed by D R C Kelly (SH 50-55) and then J A Walker (SH 50-55). Later all four of us overlapped at St John’s, Cambridge, when the total number of Sedberghians at Cambridge was some 30 or 40. The links between St John’s in particular going back to Roger Lupton, whose crest is in one of the stained glass windows in the Hall, were very strong in those days (and it has to be said competition for places was much less). We were all very privileged and fortunate.”
Expecting to follow his family’s long connection with land management as a career, Clive’s plans changed suddenly and positively when he met Jill Matthews from South Africa during a skiing holiday from Cambridge. While still at St.John’s he became engaged to Jill, and in October 1960 when he was just 24, they were married in Johannesburg where they made their home.
Clive’s first job was with Anglo American, before moving to Central Mining Investment Corp in 1963. His big move came in 1968 when he joined UAL Merchant Bank which had recently been launched by Anglo American as South Africa’s first merchant bank. In 1974 he became a general manager, and in 1984 he was appointed an executive director of UAL. In 1988 he spearheaded UAL’s greater emphasis on their unit trust operations and in the early 1990’s he was elected Chairman of the South African Association of Unit Trusts.
He made golf and sailing his main leisure interests though he was a skilled hand at fly fishing. He is survived by his wife, Jill, and their three children and seven grandchildren. His memorial service was held on October 4th, in the same church in Johannesburg where he and Jill were wed.
