Former Houston Mayor and Congressman Sylvester Turner has passed away at the age of 70.
According to a statement released by his family on March 5, Turner was hospitalized after attending President Donald Trump’s speech to Congress.
“The Turner family is requesting fervent prayers from all who knew and loved him. We also request the public’s respect for our family’s privacy as we process this difficult reality,” the family said, in part, in a statement. “Official communication will come from his staff at the appropriate time. Congressman Turner was the consummate public servant. But to us, he was our beloved father, grandfather, sibling, and relative. Thank you for your prayers.”
Sylvester Turner’s Family
Highlights
- Sylvester Turner married Cheryl Turner, a former Harris County Assistant District Attorney, in 1983.
- After divorce, in 2006, Cheryl Turner was sentenced to 10 years in prison after admitting she took $143,000 from a Houston family’s trust fund.
- Now, Cheryl Turner is a strong advocate for Black Maternal Health, working to address the disparities in maternal care faced by Black women.
He was later discharged but sadly passed away at home around 5:45 a.m. that morning due to ongoing health issues.
Ex-HBCU Sports Advocate Turner had previously fought cancer, having been diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer affecting his jaw, in 2022. He underwent treatment for the condition.
In November, U.S. Representative Turner was elected to represent Texas’s 18th Congressional District.
Before this, he had an extensive career, serving as a Texas state representative for over 20 years and holding the position of mayor of Houston for eight years.
Further, Turner was a passionate supporter of HBCU athletics and regularly attended events at Texas Southern University and Prairie View A&M University.
Sylvester Turner’s Ex-Wife, Cheryl Turner Journey From Legal Troubles to Advocacy For Black Maternal Health”
Sylvester Turner married Cheryl Turner, a former Harris County Assistant District Attorney, in 1983. The couple has one daughter, Ashley Page Turner.
However, Cheryl filed for divorce in late 1991, during Turner’s campaign for mayor.
Cheryl Turner was sentenced to 10 years in prison after admitting she took $143,000 from a Houston family’s trust fund in 2006.
The money was meant to care for the children of a garbage collector, one of whom had a mental disability.
She was hired to manage the trust but instead used the money for her expenses over six months, from September 2000 to March 2001.
She had worked as an assistant district attorney for eight years before becoming a private lawyer in 1991.
Cheryl Turner pleaded guilty to taking the funds improperly. Although she was eligible for probation, State District Judge Woody Densen sentenced her to prison.
She had been on probation twice before: once a year in 1996 and again for six months in 2004.
In December 2006, she resigned her law license instead of facing disciplinary action.
Now, she is a strong advocate for Black Maternal Health, working to raise awareness and address the disparities in maternal care faced by Black women.
Sylvester Turner: From Acres Homes To Harvard Law, Texas Legislator To Houston Mayor
Turner grew up in Houston’s Acres Homes and earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Houston. He later obtained his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School.
After starting his career as a trial lawyer, he co-founded his law firm, which focused on commercial law and personal injury cases.
Turner served in the Texas House of Representatives for 27 years, representing District 139, beginning in 1989.
In 2015, he was elected mayor of Houston and was re-elected for a second term in 2019 before reaching his term limit.
Additional Information
- As the mayor of Houston, Turner set a goal to end chronic homelessness in the city.
- He directed the police to begin enforcing a law that prohibits sharing food with homeless individuals in Houston.
- As a result, the Food Not Bombs volunteer group in Houston received 44 tickets from the police for giving food to the homeless, with each ticket carrying a possible fine of up to $2,000.
