Former Tulsa City Councilor Roscoe Turner Passes Away

Former Tulsa city councilor Roscoe Turner died on Tuesday.  Turner worked for the City of Tulsa as a boiler inspector for 21 years before joining the council, where he served three terms.

The Booker T. Washington graduate remained active in his north Tulsa neighborhood throughout his life.

Turner served as chairman of the Sequoyah Area Neighborhood Association, and as a member of the Board of Directors for both the Springdale Neighborhood Development Council and the Center for Racial Justice. He was also involved with the North Tulsa Neighborhood Alliance Economic Development Committee and the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce Vision program.

Current District Three City Councilor David Patrick often faced Turner in vying for the northeast side's Council seat, and said Turner's love for Tulsa was evident.

"We campaigned against each other nine times over an 18-year period, which demonstrates Roscoe's passion for Tulsa," David Patrick said.

"Roscoe and I had a unique relationship with mutual respect for one another.  We had an unspoken gentleman's agreement not to intervene while the other held office. We were simply two people with different philosophies, trying to occupy the same space.  It takes courage to be a Councilman, which characterizes Roscoe, and he will certainly be missed."

Mayor Dewey Bartlett said in a statement:

"Former Tulsa City Councilor Roscoe Turner was very passionate about representing his community and was certainly not a quitter. Winning his council seat many times, the former councilor was straight forward and vocal about his opinions and his love of his community and city was very obvious."

Roscoe Turner was 81 years old.

Funeral arrangements are pending.