Jack Turner: Barcroft Neighborhood Character

Jack Turner Passed Away in 2008

Jack was known to most as the trumpet player who organized and led the Fourth of July Parade band. With the exception of the Tom Palance years around the turn of the century, Jack had been leading the band since the first parade. He borrowed a bass drum, rousted out players, assembled the music, and lent his patriotism and spirit to the proceedings.

Few know that Jack was also our Master of Signs. Every month he posted the "Barcroft Meeting Tonight" signs at all exits from the neighborhood, taking the signs around late on the Wednesday night before the meeting and collecting them after the meeting. He took a step ladder with him to make sure he could position them at the exact height he wanted them, and positioned them very precisely. If you ever saw one upside down, Jack did not post it!

Jack did not make our sloppy signs. In real life he ran the Turner Sign Company, specializing in beautiful hand-lettered signs that had more style and were actually less expensive than the computer generated ones. His hand-lettered signs can still be seen every Fourth of July. How he tolerated our old spray-painted signs made with stencils was a mystery. Jack was an artist, and drew the Community House logo you see at the top of all our pages. Although he let me photocopy it, he insisted on keeping the original, because he wanted to improve it when he had time.

Jack played in the Barcroft Holiday Band too, and every year he did a trumpet solo during the program. Every year he picked something that was difficult for him to get right, and it seemed like he always had a glitch somewhere in the song, but recovered and sailed on.

Jack was many other things--husband to Lane, his wife of many years, father to their children, choir member whose practices prevented him from coming to the very BSCL meetings the signs alerted you to, ex-Marine and active member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion, organizer of the old Arlington Fourth of July parades on Wilson Boulevard many years ago. He had an indomitable spirit, an enduring optimism, boundless energy and a "can do" approach to life that lasted though his battles with the cancer that ultimately ended his life.

Jack was one of our Barcroft characters. I will miss him every year at the holiday program, on the Fourth of July, and on those cold dark nights every month when the signs have to go up. He lived a good and full life, but his passing leaves a hole in the fabric of the neighborhood.

Randy Swart

and this from Tom Palance, former Barcrofter and professional trumpet player now living in Massachusetts:

How very sad it was to hear about Jack. I have very fond memories of him, his character and the Barcroft parade. He was always trying to improve on the trumpet even taking a few lessons from me....not sure I helped much, but was encouraging to see a 70 year old still trying to improve!

I played taps for him today out my back yard facing the Atlantic in his home state of Massachusetts. Please give my our best to all.

Tom and family.


We miss you, Jack.

This page was revised on: November 10, 2008.