Funeral services for Charles F. Turner, retired assistant band director of Grambling State University, will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at South Parkway Church, 3000 S. Vienna St. in Ruston. Visitation will be 6 p.m.-8 p.m. today at Miller’s Funeral Home, 998 Woodward Ave., in Ruston.He died at 2 a.m. Monday.
Turner was a lifelong resident of Grambling. He studied music under the late “Sarge” King, who was the band director at then-Grambling College, and the late Conrad Hutchinson.
After completing his bachelor of science degree in music education, he attended the Vanderbilt School of Music in Chicago. He served as band director at Washington K-12 School in Lake Charles, Crawford High School in Arcadia, Lincoln High School in Ruston, and Ruston High School.
As a young man in Grambling, Turner had the opportunity to participate in sports under legendary coaches Eddie G. Robinson and Frederick Hobdy.
He played basketball while studying to play his trombone with his mentor and teacher Hutchinson.