James Albert Turner

James Albert Turner passed away on July 29, in Scottsdale, Ariz. at the age of 71. Jim succumbed to a long battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Sherry Turner, daughter Denise Turner and her husband Doug Rathbone of Moses Lake, and daughter Michele Trent and her husband Bob Trent of Peoria, Ariz. Jim has six grandchildren and five surviving siblings.

Jim and Sherry are longtime residents of Moses Lake and started Able Building Supply in 1977. Eventually this family business expanded to six locations including Ephrata, Royal City, Ritzville, Quincy, Wenatchee and the main store in Moses Lake. Able served the community for over 25 years and supplied lumber, hardware, paint, and odds-n-ends for many homes in the Columbia Basin.

Jim was a prominent local businessman and an active member of the Western Building Materials Association. He presided as the organization’s president for two years. During this time, he testified before Congress regarding lumber and trade issues affecting independent lumber dealers.

Upon closing Able Building Supply, Jim began a new career as a representative for both MetLife and Aflac. Jim prided himself on being able to help people protect themselves through insurance and financial assets. He continued in this role part-time until the end of his life.

Jim also managed to carve out some time for farming. He and Sherry grew hay and raised livestock on a family farm located in Block 40. There were never enough hours in the day and yet Jim seemed to make the most of every one of them.

Jim was active in the Moses Lake Lions Club International group and served as president in addition to other various leadership roles. He fondly recalled cooking up Lions Ears and scooping ice cream at the Grant County Fair for many seasons. Jim also served the community as a volunteer firefighter with the Moses Lake Fire Department for 17 years. He took civic responsibility seriously and enjoyed giving back. He was an avid fan of Moses Lake High School sport’s teams and bought many animals at the fair to support 4H and FFA students.

When Jim wasn’t working or volunteering, he loved to fish! He grew up in Kent, Wash. and shared his dad’s love for water. When he partially retired, he could often be found fishing in the Puget Sound. Rarely did a salmon fishing season pass without a victory photo of him next to a large fish. Jim also enjoyed watching and rooting for his favorite sports teams – the Seattle Mariners and the Seattle Seahawks.

Jim will be greatly missed by his family and friends. He was a hard-working, intelligent, good-natured soul with a persistent positive attitude. If you asked Jim whether a glass was half empty or half full, he would likely say “over half full” and then have a plan for filling it up.

There will be no memorial service held. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Moses Lake Lions Club on Jim’s behalf.