Rozzie Turner Murfee entered into the presence of the Lord, Thursday, March 21, 2013 after a lengthy but courageous battle with Alzheimer's disease.

A Panama City native, Turner was born on September 7, 1924 to Roz and Amanda Murfee. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Patricia Ann Rubash Murfee; his daughters, Gail Knowles and Charlotte Strickland; two granddaughters, Amanda (Matt) Creal and Jessica (Scott) Bruce; a grandson, Joshua Strickland; and three great-grandchildren, Kiersten and Lizzie Vossen, and Hudson Bruce; one brother, Buell (Betty Jo) Murfee, all of Panama City.

He was predeceased in death by his parents and brother, Blanford Murfee of Panama City.

A Veteran of World War II, Turner served his country well in the U.S. Navy. Trained as a gunner on naval aircraft at Jacksonville NAS and Pensacola, his first assignment was at the Memphis NAS; he was then sent to Oahu, Hawaii with a carrier aircraft services unit. He also crewed several months on a destroyer ( most likely the Pringle) with a scout seaplane. The plane was catapulted off the destroyer and plucked from the sea by a crane. One of Turner's jobs was to rig the plane while in the sea for hoisting. He also served as crewman on a PBY flying boat to rescue downed flyers. For some of the war he was assigned to Air Group 17's torpedo squadron which flew off the USS Bunker Hill and afterward at Rota, one of the Marianas Islands. On May 11, 1945, the Bunker Hill was knocked out of action by kamikazes, causing considerable loss of life. Turner never mentioned this incident and probably was not aboard at the time; he seldom talked about the War to the family except to answer specific questions.
On March 16, 1946, Turner was discharged at Oakland, California, and subsequently transported by train to Panama City. He attended vocational school in Vernon while working on a nearby farm before returning to Panama City where he met and married his bride, Pat Rubash. Turner worked as a mason in Panama City for 34 years and was renowned for his outstanding brickwork.

His hobbies included woodcarving, oil painting and sailing as a young man. A family man, his favorite pastime was spending time with his wife and children, and later grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and always opened his arms to extended family and friends who reveled in his humorous recollections of his childhood in early Bay County. He would always make time for others and had a special respect for animals.

Visitation with the family will be Sunday afternoon, March 23 from 3:00 to 4:30 at Wilson Funeral Home. A graveside service will be held on Monday morning at 10:00 a.m. at Greenwood Cemetery, Lisenby Avenue and 17th Street, in Panama City. Following the service, friends and family will gather at the home of Mrs. Gail Knowles for lunch and the sharing of fond memories of Turner's life.

The family would like to thank Dr. Hayat for his kindness and concern for Turner and also the staff at Covenant Hospice for their wonderful, compassionate care. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to Covenant Hospice, 107 W 19th Street, Panama City, FL 32405.