On December 26, 2021 at the Montfort Hospital in Ottawa. Predeceased by Beryl Turner (née Nation), his beloved wife and soulmate. In a private ceremony, Vernon will be interred beside her at Beechwood Cemetery, Ottawa. Vernon will be fondly remembered by nieces and nephews of the Nation clan in BC, as well by cousins in Canada and England. He will also be missed by many friends.
Vernon was a Foreign Service Officer. Over a long career he met every challenge. He served twice in Vietnam as a political adviser on international commissions supervising the implementation of agreements bringing to an end ill-fated conflict in that country. These agreements provided a framework for the withdrawal of troops, exchange of prisoners and investigation of incidents. In London, Vernon had the good fortune to meet and marry Beryl, his partner for life. With the Permanent Mission of Canada to the UN in New York, Vernon honed his skills in reporting, speech-writing and advocacy. He dealt with a variety of subjects notably peacekeeping and Chinese representation in the General Assembly and Middle East issues during Canada's 1967/68 membership on the Security Council. A posting in Warsaw where Vernon was in charge of the mission for many months provided valuable experience including persuading the Polish authorities to release two young Canadians who had been arrested for swimming in the river which formed the border between Poland and the Soviet Union. In Dar es Salaam, Vernon as acting High Commissioner, facilitated the visit of a survey team which established the basis for Canadian military assistance. In Washington, under three different heads of mission, Vernon as Minister for political affairs, contributed to the advancement of Canadian interests during the relatively benign Ford and Carter Administrations. In the last decade of his career, Vernon served as Ambassador of Canada to Israel during changes of government in both countries and then in the USSR during most of the Gorbachev era when glasnost and perestroika offered the fleeting prospect of a better life for the Soviet people within a more open society. These appointments were accompanied by dual accreditation to, respectively, Cyprus and Mongolia. In Ottawa, highlights included managing bilateral relations with the Communist regimes of Europe in the fragile atmosphere of East/West detente and trying to be productive and relevant in the unforgiving arena of policy planning when foreign policy reviews dominated the agenda. Increasing seniority provided the possibility of offering policy advice at the political level. Vernon relished this opportunity while having no illusions about how often his advice would be taken. Vernon's dedication, effectiveness and compassion inspired respect among those who worked with him.
A Celebration of Vernon’s Life will be held at the Beechwood National Memorial Centre, 280 Beechwood Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, on Friday, August 12, 2022 at 2:00PM.
Anyone wishing to honour Vernon could make a donation to the National Arts Centre, Doctors Without Borders or the Ottawa Community Foundation. And all are invited to raise a glass in his memory on some suitable convivial occasion.
Digital Guestbook
Jayne Watson
Ruth Brown
Vern was an exceptional foreign service officer and I know that my late husband Ken very much appreciated the times when he and Vern worked closely together .
Ruth Brown
Vern was an exceptional foreign service officer and I know that my late husband Ken very much appreciated the times, over their years in External, when they worked together.
Ross and Ardath Francis
We had known Vern as a colleague and friend for over 65 years. We will miss him greatly.
Rosemary and Craig MacDonald
A foreign service colleague who embodied the best of perceptive diplomat, good humoured friend and caring neighbour.
Louise Terrillon-Mackay
Vern was a wonderful person and a gentleman. I was fortunate in knowing him especially when he was Ambassador to the USSR when he hosted our delegation negociating a Cultural and Broadcasting Agreement with the Gorbatchev government, in 1988 and then on several occasions through the Canadian International Council. He had a wonderful sense of humor and you were always at ease with him. He was a great patron of the Arts.
John Noble
I want to express my most sincere condolences to the extended family of Vern Turner, a Canadian diplomat who served his country with distinction in many different postings. I first met him in New York at the 1966 UN General Assembly where I was a junior advisor acting as assistant to Ambassador George Ignatieff. Vern was a First Secretary and during our stay he received word of his promotion to FSO-04. Canada was on the Security Council and Vern worked on Resolution 242 on the situation in the Middle East. Our paths crossed again in 1983 when he was Ambassador in Israel and I was accompanying Foreign Minister Allan MacEachen on an official visit. We received a very cold reception from the Israeli's who were furious at MacEachen's reply to a question in Damascus the previous day about whether he supported Ronald Reagan's view that Syria was an impediment to peace in the Middle East. MacEachen's reply had been that "Syria was an important player in the Middle East and it was important that it use its influence in a positive manner". Henry Kissinger had previously said the same thing, but the Israeli's were most distressed to hear it from the Canadian Foreign Minister and the Israeli Ambassador to Ottawa was being particularly obnoxious. Vern wisely discouraged me from making matters worse. In 1989 while Vern was Ambassador to the Soviet Union I made two visits to Moscow in connection with the Open Skies initiative, proposed by President Bush and approved by the NATO Summit in May 1989. The first meeting turned into a five hour session without any interruptions! During the second visit in December, Vern was hosting a lunch for the Soviet and Canadian delegations at his Residence, when his wife Beryl burst in to say that the Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu had been overthrown in Bucharest. Vern made sure there was no gloating on the Canadian side. I also saw Vern and Beryl regularly after his and my retirement at monthly luncheons of the Retired Heads of Mission Association. Vern also made it a point to attend funeral/.memorial services for former colleagues and the November 11 ceremony at the National War Memorial. Those who knew him and of his contributions to the formulation and delivery of Canadian foreign policy will appreciate the important role he played over the years in many different areas. Well done thou good and faithful servant.
Lillian Thomsen
Although I didn't meet him until after he had retired from the Foreign Service I had enormous respect and admiration for Vern. He was a true gentleman and a scholar, to use a classic phrase and a gifted and astute representative of Canada throughout his career. Our conversations revolved around Russia and life in Moscow but also covered literature and particularly music. He had an infectious laugh and an enthusiasm which was contagious. I shall miss his smile, his courtly demeanor and his kindness.
Teresa Morrow
My sincere condolences to Vernon's friends and family. He was kind, solicitous and witty -- always easy to talk to and eager to swap news. He and Beryl were longtime friends of my parents Sally and Charles Morrow. From Folly Farm Picnics to Escalade to Christmas brunches and countless Chamber concerts over the decades, we were fortunate to be graced with their good company and constant genuine friendship.
Jeanne d’Arc Sharp
The late Mitchell Sharp, P.C., C.C. - Secretary of State for External Affairs
- 1968-1974 - had a very high regard for gentle man, gentleman Vernon Turner
- a man of integrity and intellect and patron of the arts.
Sharp wrote in his memoir Which Reminds Me .....In his role of senior political advisor at the Department of External Affairs, on behalf of Canada, Vernon distinguished himself at the International Commission for Supervision and Control in Vietnam.
Now, Vernon rests in eternal love beside Beryl.
Please accept my condolences on the death of Mr. Turner. He was a true gentleman and a beloved supporter of our National Arts Centre and its Orchestra. He represented Canada and our shared values at its very best.