 |
David Harold Turner
|
Drama professor.
Born at Winnipeg on 3 May 1912, son of Jennie Williams and foster son of schoolteacher Ada Esther Turner (1892-1956), he received BA, BEd, and MEd degrees. He was a speech and drama teacher at the Manitoba Teachers’ College (circa 1960) and later in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba. He was a well-known speech adjudicator at festivals across Canada and directed the drama program at Stony Mountain Penitentiary.
On 21 June 1948, he married educator Mary Elizabeth “Bessie” Harris (1905-1974, daughter of Percy Dewart Harris) at the Knox United Church. They had no children and lived at 21 Abercorn Grove (circa 1974). He was President of the Manitoba Drama League (circa 1956 and circa 1966) and Winnipeg Children’s Theatre (?-1961) and a member of the Board of Directors of the Dominion Drama Festival (1957-1958) and Manitoba Theatre Centre (?-?).
He chaired the management committee of Dalnavert Museum and organized the educational program there. He wrote three books of juvenile fiction, To Hang A Rebel (1977), Quips and Cranks of George Ashton (1978), and Atomic Archers Target: Terror (1983). In 1970, he received a Manitoba Centennial Medal from the Manitoba Historical Society in recognition of his contributions to the field of Manitoba drama.
He died at the Misericordia Hospital on 9 March 1987 and was buried in the Elmwood Cemetery. A collection of his writing is held by the University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections.
Birth registrations [Ada Esther Turner, David Harold Turner], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
“Engagement notices,” Winnipeg Free Press, 29 May 1948, page 16.
Obituary [Ada Esther Turner], Winnipeg Tribune, 2 May 1956, page 9.
“Plan moves, think lines, drama festival players told,” Winnipeg Tribune, 26 May 1956, page 9.
“3 groups win awards for play parade,” Winnipeg Free Press, 22 April 1961, page 77.
“Drama League returns Turner,” Winnipeg Free Press, 21 May 1966, page 36.
Obituary [Mary Elizabeth Turner], Winnipeg Free Press, 23 August 1974, page 18.
“Local terror tame stuff but well worth reading,” Winnipeg Free Press, 9 July 1983, page 67.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 10 March 1987, page 48.
D. Harold Turner fonds, University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 16 June 2025
Memorable Manitobans
This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.
Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:
Custom SearchBrowse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | ZBrowse deaths occurring in:
1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.caCriteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements
Help us keep
history alive!
