Amherst, MA – Vernon Dow Turner passed away peacefully at his home in Amherst Massachusetts on March 14, 2026. He was born on July 24, 1933 in Montpelier, Vermont and grew up on the family farm in the nearby town of Berlin. He graduated from Tufts University with a degree in electrical engineering on a Navy ROTC scholarship. He met his wife, Molly, at Tufts and they were married on March 31st, 1956. After serving for two years in the Navy, he settled down with her in Massachusetts, where they raised their three children, first in Andover, then in Lincoln. He spent most of his career working for the Air Force Geophysical Research Laboratory at Hanscom Air Force Base, where he built scientific instruments for physicists studying atmospheric infrared. In 1984 he moved to Amherst, Massachusetts, where he lived for the rest of his life. He spent his retirement pursuing his interests in photography, travel, family genealogy, hiking, birdwatching, outdoor activities, electronics and woodworking, as well as vacationing at his off-the-grid summer house in Calais, Vermont. He loved music, and continued to play piano and harmonica until the end of his life. Vern was a kind soul and a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend who was dearly loved by all who knew him. He will be deeply missed. He is survived by his wife, Merrylees King Turner, his three sons, Russell, James and John Turner, his four grandchildren, Anna, Karen, Scarlet and Julian Turner, and his two great-grandchildren, Evie and Rian Sun. He was predeceased by his parents, Ranald and Florence Turner, and his brothers John and Richard Turner.
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Vernon Dow Turner