Obituary of Frank Patrick Turrella Jr.

He lived a life full of love, family, silly jokes and laughter, traveling, flying, golfing (several hole-in-ones), skiing, sailing and more. He helped create the lymphodema clinic at Baylor-Scott and White All Saints Hospital in Fort Worth and was founding president of the Mary I Gourley Scholarship Foundation which provided hundreds of students money for college. Even as his mobility reduced he found ways to be fulfilled - spending afternoons with family, watching sports, learning the game of bridge and Spanish, trading stocks, and riding the neighborhood on his motorized scooter.

Born 4 February 1928 in Brooklyn, NY he was named after his father, a second-generation Italian-American. Frank’s father participated in union organizing. When only a small child and deep in the night, his family (mother Rose Catherine Baronas, a second generation Lithuanian-American, and his older brother Eugene) - was forced to flee. Often he told the story of he and his older brother riding from NYC to Los Angeles in the rumble seat of the family car with a tarp to keep the sun off. His father worked for enough money for gas to get down the road and, when they stopped, his mother made Italian bean soup. How he disliked that soup. 
 

In LA, Frank worked at the nearby ice arena where he met Olympic ice skating star Sonja Henie. He joined her touring company. With her as choreagrapher, he developed the Russian split jump and was a featured skater in the show as well as appearing in several films with Henie.

While the ice show was in Fort Worth, Frank skated a sleigh onto the rink. Inside was Anna Lorraine Stewart of Fort Worth. She became his first wife.  After his contract expired, he skated at the Century Room in Dallas’ Adolphus Hotel and served in the Army Reserves. He became a successful stock broker at the Dallas firm of Eppler, Guerin & Turner, often making the Millionaires’ Club.

He is preceded in death by his first wife, Anna Lorraine Stewart Turrella, who was born in Fort Worth and lived in Dallas; his second wife, Frances Gourley Turrella of Fort Worth; his brother, Eugene of WA; and his parents.

Frank is survived by his wife of 8 years, Jan Choyce Turrella;

His three daughters with Lorraine - oldest Robin Laura of Dallas TX and husband, Daniel A Yaklin

next Laurie Ann of Franklin TN and husband, Leamon Blaydes Zachry

and youngest, Wendy Leigh and husband Paul John Roach of Fort Worth

His grandchildren with Anna Lorraine Stewart are Laura Lea Zachry Chalhoub (Anthony), Franklin TN; Franklin Zach Zachry (Kathleen Greathouse) also of Franklin TN; Nataleigh Vann Perez (Nicholas David) of College Station TX;  

Great-grandchildren (oldest to youngest) are Miles Vann Perez, Camrynn, Brooklynn, and Colton Zachry, and Scottie Chalhoub;

Cousins, Carol Mermis and Christopher Toriello both of CA.