Businessman.
Born at Winnipeg on 1 May 1930, son of James Valentine Turner (1903-1959) and Gretta Harriet Ross (1905-1992), he attended East Kildonan Collegiate and University of Manitoba. He began working for Dominion Bridge and was transferred to its Montreal headquarters in 1959. He returned to Winnipeg in 1961 to join British American Construction and Materials then moved to Vancouver, British Columbia in 1969 to become President and CEO of Neonex.
He was successively President and CEO of Seaspan International (1971-1972) then Genstar Western in 1972. It merged to become Genstar Corporation in 1974 and, over the next 12 years in partnership with Angus MacNaughton, made 28 business acquisitions to make it into an international conglomerate. The headquarters were moved from Montreal to San Francisco in 1978. When the company was sold in 1986, he became a venture capitalist, raising over $28 billion.
On 9 June 1950, he married Helen Elizabeth Todd at Young United Church. He had two sons and a daughter. He was a member of the Winnipeg Canoe Club.
He died at his home in Rancho Santa Fe, California on 29 August 2023.
Birth registration [James Valentine Turner], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Marriage registration [James Valentine Turner, Gretta Harriet Ross], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
“Engagement notices,” Winnipeg Free Press, 6 May 1950, page 18.
Obituary [James V. Turner], Winnipeg Tribune, 13 August 1959, page 32.
Obituary, The Globe and Mail, 7 November 2023.
We thank James Arnett for providing additional information used here.
Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 7 November 2023
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