Wilfred Turnbull’s Obituary
Wilfred Turnbull’s Obituary
The family is announcing the death of Pastor Wilfred Turnbull who transitioned from this life on October 23, 2020 at the age of 93.
The viewings are as follows: Thursday, November 12, 2020 from 12, (Noon) to 5 PM at the New Blyden Memorial Funeral Home which was the former Apostolic Faith Church in Altona; across from the Western Cemetery. Another viewing will be conducted from 8:30 - 10 AM on Friday, November 13 at Apostolic Faith Church in Smith Bay. Following the viewing will be
The Celebration of Life service at 10 AM. Live Streaming will also be available, (in real time) at the Bylden Memorial Funeral Home in Altona and at the Apostolic Faith Church in Road Town. Interment will be at the Western Cemetery No. 3. Live streaming will be available for the public via Turnbull’s Funeral Home Facebook page.
His late mother, Catherine Todman Abbott and his late father Alexanda “Massa” Turnbull preceded him in death.
He is survived by his sons, Brian (Karen) Turnbull, Wilmo Turnbull & David (Judy) Turnbull. Daughters are Mona (Mark) Pratt, Noreen Turnbull, Elerine (Julien) Penn, Everine (Oral) Hazell and Evelyn Turnbull. His grandchildren are: La Tisha Brown, Darnell (Krystal) Turnbull, Ian (Joselyn) Turnbull, Marcus Pratt, Melanie Turnbull, Nortey Annang, Walter (Meghan) Thomas, Amber (Tobi) Babalola, Mikhail Turnbull, Dimitri Turnbull, Marsalis Pratt, David Biko (Neysa) Turnbull, Elisha Turnbull, Nia Hazell & Shemar Turnbull. His great-grandchildren are: LaKeilla Jn Baptiste, Ny’Keiria, Jayla, Jaylen, Za’marious, Ja’Karie, Ja’Niya, Jordon, Josiah, Joshua and Marlei Pratt, Aydenn Turnbull, Camrynn Turnbull, Alexander Thomas, DeVonte Turnbull, Iya Turnbull, Kalani and Noelani Thomas, Thaddeus Turnbull and Mosiah Jacobs. He is also survived by his brothers: Noel Leonard and Winston Durant. His sisters are: Irene Allen, Hilda Smith, Daisy Durant Thomas, Dorothy Durant, Adorothy Turnbull and Naomi Turnbull. His brothers- in- law are Walter Thomas, Josephus Wilkins, Neftaly Maldonado, Samuel ‘Cephus’ Lettsome, Tadio Lettsome, Claudius Chalwell and Melvin Johnson. His sisters -in law are Bernice Turnbull, Vinnie Wilkins, Lola Farrington, Rita Thompson, Beverly Johnson, Priscilla Maldonado, Dora Lettsome, Sylvia Son, Ina Chalwell, Alma Johnson and Orah Alexander. He is also survived by a special nephew: Louis Turnbull and many other relatives and friends; too numerous to mention.
Pastor Wilfred Turnbull was a Father, Pastor, Author, Building Contractor, Entrepreneur and so much more.
He was born on the island of Tortola, BVI, (Green Bank Estate,) on February 22, 1927. He moved to St. Thomas, V. I. in the early 50’s. He married the late, Nancy P. Wilkins-Turnbull and together they had 8 children. His off springs include 15 Grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren. He has three Sons-In-Law and 2 Daughters-In-Law. 1 Grandson-in-Law and 4 Granddaughters-In-Law. He is blessed to have 2 brothers and 6 sisters.
He was affectionately known as Willie to his friends and family. He was also known as the coconut man. Additionally, he was known as Pastor Turnbull to many as he Pastored at the Apostolic Faith, Smith Bay assembly for 38 years before his retirement in November of 2014.
He was a man who knew how to reinvent himself when a season in his life was coming to an end. As a boy, he farmed and fell in love with planting crops and raising cattle, goats and pigs. In his late teens, he became a Mason by trial and error until he got good at it. He built many residential and commercial structures throughout St. Thomas.
While being a Building Contractor, in the early 70’s he started a water truck company then a garbage collection company which were very successful. In the late 70’s he began farming in the Estate Dorothea area.
Although he was working closely with the late Pastor Algernon Blyden in the promulgation of the Gospel at the Apostolic Faith Church during the late 50’s; he became a life-long board member in the 60’s. In 1976, he became an ordained Pastor. In the early 80’s, he had a tragic accident which severely crushed his left knee. This accident caused him to be hospitalized for three months in Puerto Rico. Once he came back to St. Thomas, he conducted his own physical therapy at the beach and before long, he was back on the road doing home repairs while he worked on building a new home for his wife. He fully retired from all types of Construction in the mid 90’s then he began another farm in the Smith Bay Area. Soon after, he started to be an itinerant seller of Green Coconuts until he founded Sweet Corner in Crown Bay where he sold coconut water and cane juice.
He was one of the first people in St. Thomas to make and sell coconut oil in large quantities. He believed so much in the benefits of Coconut oil, he began to host community conferences. The person who was invited to speak at the conferences wrote 20 books on the benefits of coconuts. This sparked a new interest and Turnbull was positive he was going to become an Author. He is the Author of two books: “Nature’s Delight” a Recipe Book and “Still Dreaming... My Journey as a Family-man, Churchman and Businessman”.
Sweet Corner became so successful, he had to hire 4 employees to keep it running smoothly - then Hurricane Irma crushed the structure in 2017 and he was closed. Undeterred, a few months later, he began to drive around town and sell to his old customers until he realized he had a small piece of unused land close to his home. This spot became the new Sweet Corner. He walked to work, Monday - Friday and sometimes on Saturday until June of 2020.
Professional Funeral services are entrusted to Blyden Memorial Funeral Home on St. Thomas.
The family is announcing the death of Pastor Wilfred Turnbull who transitioned from this life on October 23, 2020 at the age of 93.
The viewings are as follows: Thursday, November 12, 2020 from 12, (Noon) to 5 PM at the New Blyden Memorial Funeral Home which was the former Apostolic Faith Church in Altona; across from the Western Cemetery. Another viewing will be conducted from 8:30 - 10 AM on Friday, November 13 at Apostolic Faith Church in Smith Bay. Following the viewing will be
The Celebration of Life service at 10 AM. Live Streaming will also be available, (in real time) at the Bylden Memorial Funeral Home in Altona and at the Apostolic Faith Church in Road Town. Interment will be at the Western Cemetery No. 3. Live streaming will be available for the public via Turnbull’s Funeral Home Facebook page.
His late mother, Catherine Todman Abbott and his late father Alexanda “Massa” Turnbull preceded him in death.
He is survived by his sons, Brian (Karen) Turnbull, Wilmo Turnbull & David (Judy) Turnbull. Daughters are Mona (Mark) Pratt, Noreen Turnbull, Elerine (Julien) Penn, Everine (Oral) Hazell and Evelyn Turnbull. His grandchildren are: La Tisha Brown, Darnell (Krystal) Turnbull, Ian (Joselyn) Turnbull, Marcus Pratt, Melanie Turnbull, Nortey Annang, Walter (Meghan) Thomas, Amber (Tobi) Babalola, Mikhail Turnbull, Dimitri Turnbull, Marsalis Pratt, David Biko (Neysa) Turnbull, Elisha Turnbull, Nia Hazell & Shemar Turnbull. His great-grandchildren are: LaKeilla Jn Baptiste, Ny’Keiria, Jayla, Jaylen, Za’marious, Ja’Karie, Ja’Niya, Jordon, Josiah, Joshua and Marlei Pratt, Aydenn Turnbull, Camrynn Turnbull, Alexander Thomas, DeVonte Turnbull, Iya Turnbull, Kalani and Noelani Thomas, Thaddeus Turnbull and Mosiah Jacobs. He is also survived by his brothers: Noel Leonard and Winston Durant. His sisters are: Irene Allen, Hilda Smith, Daisy Durant Thomas, Dorothy Durant, Adorothy Turnbull and Naomi Turnbull. His brothers- in- law are Walter Thomas, Josephus Wilkins, Neftaly Maldonado, Samuel ‘Cephus’ Lettsome, Tadio Lettsome, Claudius Chalwell and Melvin Johnson. His sisters -in law are Bernice Turnbull, Vinnie Wilkins, Lola Farrington, Rita Thompson, Beverly Johnson, Priscilla Maldonado, Dora Lettsome, Sylvia Son, Ina Chalwell, Alma Johnson and Orah Alexander. He is also survived by a special nephew: Louis Turnbull and many other relatives and friends; too numerous to mention.
Pastor Wilfred Turnbull was a Father, Pastor, Author, Building Contractor, Entrepreneur and so much more.
He was born on the island of Tortola, BVI, (Green Bank Estate,) on February 22, 1927. He moved to St. Thomas, V. I. in the early 50’s. He married the late, Nancy P. Wilkins-Turnbull and together they had 8 children. His off springs include 15 Grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren. He has three Sons-In-Law and 2 Daughters-In-Law. 1 Grandson-in-Law and 4 Granddaughters-In-Law. He is blessed to have 2 brothers and 6 sisters.
He was affectionately known as Willie to his friends and family. He was also known as the coconut man. Additionally, he was known as Pastor Turnbull to many as he Pastored at the Apostolic Faith, Smith Bay assembly for 38 years before his retirement in November of 2014.
He was a man who knew how to reinvent himself when a season in his life was coming to an end. As a boy, he farmed and fell in love with planting crops and raising cattle, goats and pigs. In his late teens, he became a Mason by trial and error until he got good at it. He built many residential and commercial structures throughout St. Thomas.
While being a Building Contractor, in the early 70’s he started a water truck company then a garbage collection company which were very successful. In the late 70’s he began farming in the Estate Dorothea area.
Although he was working closely with the late Pastor Algernon Blyden in the promulgation of the Gospel at the Apostolic Faith Church during the late 50’s; he became a life-long board member in the 60’s. In 1976, he became an ordained Pastor. In the early 80’s, he had a tragic accident which severely crushed his left knee. This accident caused him to be hospitalized for three months in Puerto Rico. Once he came back to St. Thomas, he conducted his own physical therapy at the beach and before long, he was back on the road doing home repairs while he worked on building a new home for his wife. He fully retired from all types of Construction in the mid 90’s then he began another farm in the Smith Bay Area. Soon after, he started to be an itinerant seller of Green Coconuts until he founded Sweet Corner in Crown Bay where he sold coconut water and cane juice.
He was one of the first people in St. Thomas to make and sell coconut oil in large quantities. He believed so much in the benefits of Coconut oil, he began to host community conferences. The person who was invited to speak at the conferences wrote 20 books on the benefits of coconuts. This sparked a new interest and Turnbull was positive he was going to become an Author. He is the Author of two books: “Nature’s Delight” a Recipe Book and “Still Dreaming... My Journey as a Family-man, Churchman and Businessman”.
Sweet Corner became so successful, he had to hire 4 employees to keep it running smoothly - then Hurricane Irma crushed the structure in 2017 and he was closed. Undeterred, a few months later, he began to drive around town and sell to his old customers until he realized he had a small piece of unused land close to his home. This spot became the new Sweet Corner. He walked to work, Monday - Friday and sometimes on Saturday until June of 2020.
Professional Funeral services are entrusted to Blyden Memorial Funeral Home on St. Thomas.
