William Turpin

Bill Turpin loved the thrill of discovery. From experiencing a new place, to solving a puzzle, to searching for stones just under the surface. He was an Eagle Scout, a proud veteran, and a successful engineer. Bill was a man who traveled the globe, but always found his greatest love at his family’s side. Bill was a remarkable man with a remarkable life, but above all, he was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, and friend.

Bill’s story began on a hot summer day in 1925, in the riverside city of Windsor, in Ontario, Canada. On July 5, 1925, Walter and Jesse (Crosland) Turpin celebrated the birth of their first child, a son they named William.

Bill’s parents were immigrants from England, who made the arduous trek across the Atlantic with a baby on the way, stopping off in Canada en route to the United States. It wasn’t long after Bill was born that the couple crossed the Detroit River into the U.S., beginning their new life in the sleepy Detroit suburb of Royal Oak, Michigan. Bill was later joined by his little brother Walter and little sister Margaret in the family’s home, where the Canadian-born boy of English parents lived a very typical American childhood.

Bill grew into a very tall, strapping young man, with a great love for fishing and the outdoors even as a boy. He collected rocks, forming a lifelong love for the hobby. He also joined the Boy Scouts, the perfect organization for his interests, and by the time he was in high school at Royal Oak High in the 1940s, he had attained the lofty ranking of Eagle Scout.

After he graduated from high school, his family moved to Port Huron, and Bill followed suit. He began attending junior college for a time, until he joined his country’s fight in World War II, and enlisted in the U.S. Navy.

Bill proudly served his country in the war, and when he was finally discharged, he returned to Port Huron for a time, and went back to junior college. He found more than an education on his return home. One night he headed out to the Tip Toppers Club in Detroit, an organization for tall people just like him. There he met a beautiful woman named Rosemary, and they quickly realized they had much more in common than their height. They began dating, fell in love, and were married on October 20, 1950, in Royal Oak.

The newlyweds then moved to Houghton, Michigan in the Upper Peninsula, where Bill began attending Michigan Tech University. The couple became parents at Michigan Tech, with the birth of two daughters while living there, Linda and Laura.

After Bill earned his Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, he found a job with Consumers Power Co., and the family moved downstate to Jackson. There Bill and Rosemary rounded out their happy family with two more daughters, Lois and Loel.

Eventually Bill was transfered and the family packed up and moved to the beautiful shoreline city of Holland, where he would raise his family, and live the rest of his life.

Bill was a wonderful father, and adored his little girls. He enjoyed taking them fishing with him, and later on he loved father/daughter dances, giving them quality time with dad.

The family did much together, and especially enjoyed traveling together. Bill and Rosemary went all over the world, visiting the Panama Canal, India, Greece, Sweden, Russia, Japan, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand, England, Italy, Thailand, Tahiti … they were even in Beijing, China in 1989, during the infamous student protests in Tiananmen Square. They also went on many, many cruises over the years together, too.

Every vacation in the U.P., the Turpin's would collect rocks near abandoned copper mines. Bill was a true “rock hound” and could sniff out a good find a mile away. One of the family’s most memorable trips involved his greatest rock “find” ever — to Mount Rushmore!

Bill was a man of many hobbies and interests, though, not just rock-collecting. He loved bow hunting, and went deer hunting with Rosemary and his friends Jack and Betty Reynolds every year, despite never bagging one. He also enjoyed sports, and loved watching his children and grandchildren in swimming, volleyball, football, hockey, baseball, and basketball. He also could be found just watching football or hockey on TV.

Being the engineer he was, he also enjoyed woodworking, or any kind of construction projects. After he retired from Consumers Power as plant superintendent in Holland, after more than 30 years there, Bill enjoyed working in the woodshop at Evergreen Commons.

Bill enjoyed a good meal as much as anyone. His favorite dinner was a standing rib roast complete with Yorkshire pudding, and he especially enjoyed lemon cheese curd, hot tea, date cookies, Fig Newtons, and chocolate-covered peanuts, too! He was always ready to eat, and even kept toothpicks on him at all times! Always be prepared, that was Bill’s motto, ever the Eagle Scout he was. He taught the family to leave every campsite cleaner than when they arrived.

Bill was also a man of great faith, a lifelong Episcopalian, and a longtime member of Grace Episcopal Church in Holland. He became a Mason in the 1940s, and was active in the organization the rest of his life. Bill also joined the Jaycees in the 1950s.

Later in life, Bill’s health began to decline and the once-vibrant man slowed some. Eventually he was placed in the Hospice House of Holland, where Bill sadly died on Wednesday, January 2, 2008, at the age of 82.

Bill was a remarkable man, who lived a remarkable life, a life of so many successes, so many adventures. He was an Eagle Scout, an engineer, and a proud veteran, a world-traveler and happy homebody, too. Most of all, Bill was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, and friend, whose love of life lives on in them today. He will be greatly missed.

Bill is survived by his wife of 57 years, Rosemary; 4 daughters, Linda and Rich Compton, of Kalamazoo, Laura and Mike Canaan, of Holland, Lois and Dave Arnold, of Mt. Pleasant, and Loel Turpin, of Honeoye Falls, NY; Grandchildren, Curtis and Angela Compton, Christy Compton, Chelsea Compton, Josh and Beth Canaan, and Jennifer Canaan, Ben Arnold and William Arnold; Great grandchildren, Deanne Compton, Alana Rose Compton, and Paul Mason Compton; sister, Margaret and Jack Levitt, of Bingham Farms, MI, and a brother, Walter and Loma Turpin, of Bellingham, Washington.

A memorial service will be held Monday, 11:00a.m., at Grace Episcopal Church, 555 Michigan Ave., Holland. Officiating will be the Rev. Jen Adams.

Visitation is scheduled for Sunday, from 2-4p.m., and Monday, 10:00a.m. – 10:45a.m., at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Evergreen Commons Woodshop or to Special Olympics Michigan.

Please visit www.lifestorynet.com to share a memory or photo of Bill, or to sign his guestbook.