Karl William Turner

Cumberland Foreside – Karl William Turner left us on December 27, 2025, after a long, courageous battle with Parkinson’s. He was born on March 23, 1942, in Eastport Maine the son of Harry Turner, who was deployed with the US Navy in the Pacific during WWII, and Amy Turner (nee Pike). During his childhood, he was surrounded by family including his siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins who all lived within a few houses of each other. Karl was only 5 years old when his mother passed away and his family carried him through the most traumatic period of his life. He graduated from Shead Memorial High School in 1960 as the class president, a great athlete, and just a hair from class valedictorian.

After a year at the US Naval Academy, Karl entered the engineering school at the University of Maine, Orono. Graduating in 1965, he went to work at IBM, and shortly thereafter married Shari Robinson from Kittery Point who he met when both were studying at UMaine and had two children, Brandon and Jessika. Karl’s work at IBM took his family to New York City, Manchester, and Syracuse over the years. However, he ensured that his young family always returned to Maine to summer with Shari’s family, piling them into a Datsun station wagon and making the trek to the Seacoast region. There, weekends were spent picnicking at Fort Foster with his mother-in-law, Ardelle (aka “BIG TIME”) Robinson, playing tennis against his brother-in-law, Jeffrey Robinson, and reading on the sands of York Harbor Beach. Karl returned to Maine in 1980 to be IBM’s branch manager in Portland after turning down the opportunity to work for IBM in Tokyo because he felt it was best for his family.

In the mid-1980s, Karl joined Casco Northern Bank, managing operations and technology. He also became heavily involved in the community, coaching little league baseball and softball in Falmouth. He also served on the board of Maine Audubon and on the Falmouth Town Council which he chaired for a term. In the early 1990s, Casco Northern’s operations were consolidated into its parent, BankBoston Corporation. There, Karl joined the retail banking management team, and for 8 years spent his weekdays in Boston but came home to his beloved Maine on the weekends.

While Karl and Shari divorced in the early 1980’s, they remained supportive partners in raising their children, celebrating holidays together with their respective, extended families. His homes in Falmouth were famously freezing in the winter but became the go-to social spots for his children and their friends. “Captain Karl” was regaled for his comfy reclining chairs and his earnest interest in the lives of the young people who frequently crashed there on weekends.

Karl was extremely active and graceful. He was a great baseball player and earned his varsity letter as UMaine’s soccer goalie. He loved to ski and would get his kids up early, pack breakfasts and lunches, and head up Route 26 to ski at Sunday River. He could ice skate and dance. Most of all, he loved playing basketball and organized lunchtime games while at Casco Northern, competing with men half his age.

In 1993, Karl met Susannah Swihart in Boston. They dated steadily for years before moving to Cumberland, Maine where they got married in 2000 and raised Susannah’s daughter, Abby. These were fortunate years full of personal and professional growth. Karl traveled extensively with Susannah, made the time to enjoy friendships and the Turner/Swihart/Armstrong families, skied all winter, explored Casco Bay on his Whaler all summer, and read lots of history.

He also started a whole new phase of Maine professional life. Convinced he could get his fellow legislators to work “across the aisle” to strengthen the economy for Mainers, he ran for the state Senate, serving Falmouth, Cumberland, North Yarmouth, Windham, Yarmouth, and Raymond over 8 years. He worked to improve foster care and successfully led bills to eliminate smoking in restaurants and to ensure LGBTQ Mainers equal access to housing and jobs. He also focused heavily on strengthening Maine’s economy, working on the legislature’s Appropriations Committee, which approves the state’s budget, for much of his tenure.

He next joined a series of community boards to further contribute to his beloved Maine. Among other activities, he served on the boards of Maine Public, Health InfoNet, and the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center. He put his greatest energies as trustee into the Hospice of Southern Maine and the University of Maine System, where he chaired the board Finance and Facilities Committee, working to find more resources to invest in student education.

As Parkinson’s took greater hold, Karl settled bravely into being largely at home, but he stayed avidly interested in current affairs and history. He loved his family so much and was so very proud of them–his brothers James and Dale, his children Brandon Turner and Jessika Morin, their spouses Jennifer and Dan, his stepdaughter Abby Armstrong and spouse Jeremy, and grandchildren Ellie, Izzy, Katy, Amy, Amanda, and James, and his dear cousins Bill and Eleanor Turner. He loved his Swihart and Armstrong relatives and his best friends since childhood, John Bishop, now gone, and Ken and Carol Gardiner. He held a very special place in his heart for his dogs.

Parkinson’s was a real fight, but Karl had a rich and accomplished life. Our family is very grateful to the wonderful staff at both Falmouth House and Legacy at OceanView and especially to the caring nurses, social workers and volunteers at Hospice of Southern Maine. Together, they really helped Karl, Susannah, and our family manage through these last years.

A Celebration of Karl’s life will be held at 12PM on Saturday, April 4, 2026, at the new Conroy-Tully Walker Cremation, Funeral, and Gathering Center, 300 Allen Avenue, Portland. To view Karl’s memorial page or to share an online condolence, please visit www.ConroyTullyWalker.com

In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to Hospice of Southern Maine by visiting hospiceofsouthernmaine.org.