Birth date: Feb 10, 1939 Death date: May 9, 2021
Charles Richardson Turk, age 82, passed away peacefully with his wife and son at his side on Sunday, May 9, 2021. He was born on February 10, 1939 to Henry C. and Teresa (Richardson) Turk in Evanston, Illinois before coming to Mus Read Obituary
I had the privilege of serving on the PMWC board with Chuck for 20+ years. He had a wealth of knowledge and experience on issues involving the PM River from his days as a CO which he shared with us freely. He was a tremendous resource for me and taught me many lessons over the years. He will be deeply missed. Rest in peace my friend.
Jim Bos
Pere Marquette Watershed Council
I have the privilege of seeing Carolyn weekly to do her hair and I cut Chuck’s hair while he lived at the Village. What an awesome couple. I have been truly blessed by Chuck and Carolyn. As others have mentioned, Chuck loved to tell stories and I loved listening. He was a fascinating guy! He will be missed greatly by not only Carolyn, Charlie and family, he will be missed by everyone who’s lives he touched. My heartfelt sympathies to you all!
I was honored to know Charlie and to have worked with him both in the Department of Natural Resources and also the Criminal Justice Program at Ferris State University. Charlie had a legendary career as a Conservation Officer. He was firm, fair, brave and kind. He was a force of Nature with his impressive bearing and athletic ability. He had a playful sense of humor and loved to laugh.
Charlie was a wonderful Firearms and Precision Driving Instructor at FSU, and our graduates remember him fondly. They often comment on his kindness and patience.
It was my privilege to be his friend for a quarter of a century. We worked together in law enforcement and training, we participated in firearms competition as teammates, spent a great deal of leisure time and made several hunting trips out west together.
Charlie was devoted to his wife and family and loved them dearly. He was an unforgettable character and this world is a poorer place without him. Godspeed, my dear friend.
I used to do Carolyn’s hair for years. Chuck would come with her sometimes. He would tell stories the whole time. One years, a few years ago, Chuck gave me a pistol for Christmas. Then we went out to the woods and he made sure I could shoot it. He gave me lots of pointers. I use those pointers to this day. I will miss Chuck and his stories .
I HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH CHARLIE FOR THE 6 YEARS I WAS AT CADILLAC. GREAT OFFICER THAT WAS A LEGEND IN HIS OWN RIGHT AND SOMEONE I CONSIDERED TO BE A FRIEND AS WELL AS A FELLOW CO! MY SYMPATHY TO HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS. GOD BLESS!!!
So sorry to learn of Chuck's passing. While I only worked with him directly a few times. He had a well deserved reputation as a fair and honest Conservation Officer. He was well respected by all of the officers and by the public. May God hold his family in His loving arms as they grieve the passing of this wonderful man.
Lt. Bruce Gustafson DNR Law Retired
Oh, so sad to hear this, but I have such great memories with “Charlie” tromping around in the woods, Carolyn, remember all the soup and cookies I sent home with him? I hope it made your day a little brighter, He always had a smile. At least, for those of us that obeyed the game laws! Fish on, buddy!
I worked with Charlie as my first training officer after transferring into the DNR Law Enforcement Division from Water Quality Division. I had some time until the scheduling of a police and conservation officer school, so I worked with established officers until that time came. My work was during the fall fish runs, which had their own impulsive clientelle who were not always interested in staying around to get a ticket. I had not even been issued a uniform yet, but thoroughly enjoyed learning from Charlie and riding with him in his unofficially souped up Impala patrol car. While there, I severely turned my angle running to back up Charlie who was engaged with an unruly snagger. After getting that under control, Charlie immediately took me to the local urgent care facility and had me looked at an treated; and, stayed with me until I had been cared for. I later worked in the central Michigan area and moved into environmental criminal law enforcement as a detective unit supervisor. I trace that success back to Charlie.
- Greg Eagle (Midland, MI)
