Lincoln Turner

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Lincoln Turner, a beloved husband, devoted father, grandfather, community leader, and lifelong advocate

for justice and equity, transitioned on April 26, 2025, in West Orange, New Jersey. He was 88 years old.

Born on October 4, 1936, in Yardley, Pennsylvania, Lincoln was the ninth born of George and Annie

(Jiles) Turner’s ten children: William, Cornell, Albert, Daymon Sr., Rose, George, Andrew, Frank, an

Reginald. Raised in a tight-knit, hardworking, and faithful family, he was educated in the Fallsington

Township Public Schools and graduated from Pennsbury High School in 1955. A gifted athlete, he was

part of their undefeated Lower Bucks County Wrestling League wrestling team. Lincoln continued

wrestling at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, where his team won the Central Intercollegiate Athletic

Association championship, and he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 1959.

Lincoln served his country with honor in the United States Army and had a distinguished career in sales

and marketing at Pfizer and Hoffman-La Roche and other pharmaceutical companies before focusing on

his true passions, real estate and politics. As a successful real estate businessman, he built a portfolio of

properties in Montclair, New Jersey, which he called home for many decades.

Lincoln’s civic involvement was extensive and impactful. His participation in Citizens for Charter Change,

a bipartisan grassroots government reform advocacy group, spurred his successful campaign for election

to the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders (now the Board of Commissioners) in 1978, where his

colleagues elected him Vice President of the Board. He was particularly proud of his leadership as Chair

of the New Jersey Association of Counties. As Chair, Lincoln spearheaded a historic initiative that

established human rights as a fundamental state-recognized right, making New Jersey the first in the

nation to do so. He was also a board member of the Juvenile Conference Committee (JCC).

Lincoln gave freely of his time and talents. An active member of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, he

served on the trustee board, the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee, and chaired anniversary

celebrations. He also supported numerous organizations committed to justice and education, including

the NAACP, its Legal Defense Fund, the ACLU, and the Peace Action Education Fund. He was a proud

member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (Alpha Alpha Lambda chapter) and served on the board of

directors at HomeCorp, a Montclair non-profit dedicated to affordable housing, the YMCA, the Property

Owners Association of New Jersey and as head of Montclair’s Landlord-Tenant Committee.

Lincoln had a zest for life that touched everyone around him. Known for his radiant smile and sharp sense

of humor, he was a people person who made lasting impressions through his wit, warmth, and intellect.

He was a voracious reader and an avid follower of politics, often found with a newspaper in hand or tunedinto WBAI radio.

He was also deeply involved in his children’s lives. Believing in nurturing their talents

and broadening their horizons, he made sure his daughter Robin and son Lincoln received high quality

education, were exposed to African and African American history from an early age, and had access to

enriching extracurricular activities such as dance, tennis, and YMCA summer programs.

Lincoln and his wife Sharon traveled extensively throughout the world. Among their many travels, they

visited Robin while she studied and did research in South Africa and Lincoln in Venezuela while he was

teaching abroad. They collected as they traveled, bringing antique artifacts, unique eggs, and other art

from around the world back to Montclair. They created a home filled with African and African American

art, Black memorabilia, and the sounds of country, classical, and jazz music that reflected their love for

travel, culture, and storytelling. Every item in their house came with a story that Lincoln delighted in

sharing with guests.

Lincoln is survived by his devoted wife, Sharon Burton Turner, his loving children from his marriage to

Evelyn Turner, Robin L. Turner of Indianapolis, Indiana and Lincoln O. Turner and his wife Joi of Atlanta,

Georgia, and his cherished eight-year-old grandchildren, Miles and Quinn Turner. He is also survived by

his brother Reginald Turner and his brothers-in-law James Burton, Ronald Burton and his wife Carolyn,

Douglas Burton and his wife Sandra, sisters-in-law Martha Turner, Elizabeth Turner and Victoria Turner

and a host of extended family and friends.

Lincoln’s life was guided by hard work, high expectations, and an unwavering “can-do” spirit. He

dedicated himself to uplifting the Black community and all those in need, believing deeply in the power of

education, justice, and action. His legacy is one of meaningful change, community building, and love.

He made a difference in his family, his community, and his state. His light continues to shine through the

lives he touched.

The family requests that In Lieu of Flowers, donations in Lincoln Turner's name be made to the Montclair Scholarship Fund (www.montclairscholarshipfund.org/named-scholarships), which supports college and trade school-bound Montclair High School seniors with financial need. 

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