David J. Turner

David John Turner, 56, of Davenport, IA, passed away, February 8, 2025, at his home.

Funeral services will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 16, 2025, at Esterdahl Mortuary and Crematory, Ltd., Moline. Visitation will be from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday at the funeral home. Cremation rites will follow services. Memorials may be made to the family. 

David was born on April 1, 1968, in Elizabeth, New Jersey, the son of John and Irene Turner. He married Melissa Martel on May 30, 2010. She preceded him in death on October 23, 2021.

Dave was born and raised in the beautiful state of New Jersey and spent his early years growing up in Cranford. His childhood was filled with riding bikes around the neighborhood with friends, playing little league baseball and going on scout camping trips. He loved to fish in the Rahway River and skate on the ice of a local pond whenever it froze over. In middle school Dave started playing the saxophone and continued throughout high school with the marching band. During his teenage years he may have been known to break a rule or two. Sleeping in on weekends, stretching curfew, and keeping his parents “on their toes.” – never a dull moment with Dave! He was an excellent runner and competed in cross country and other distance events in track. Dave developed a strong group of friends while in school and kept in touch with many of them over the years. Fond memories include hanging out at the Jersey shore, cruising around in various cars, listening to the Grateful Dead, bowling and dart leagues, drinking a cold one, rooting for the Amazin’ Mets and many other memorable times spent with family and friends.

After graduating from high school, he spent a semester attending college but decided that wasn’t for him. He quickly became an expert at installing custom in-ground pool liners which had him travelling around NJ. In his mid-twenties he moved to Iowa and lived in the Quad City area up to the present time. Dave had a long and successful career working for AT&T and displayed many awards for excelling at his job. He retired from AT&T after 20 years. Computer and gadget savvy, family and friends would solicit his advice on how to use the latest features of smart phones, laptops and TV’s. Online gaming was a passion, and he would play for hours, easily making friends with fellow gamers throughout the world.

In his later years, Dave spoke proudly about spending time with his grandchildren and would often text photos of the kids taking part in fun activities. One remarkable talent of note was Dave’s ability to recall past experiences and tell elaborate stories from his childhood. Many of us were amazed and impressed with his incredible memory. He smiled often, laughed a lot and was a fun person to be around. Dave will be remembered as a light-hearted and generous person who helped those he loved. We’ll miss you, Dave!

Survivors include his mother, Irene of Somerset, NJ; sister, Kristine Fritz (husband Jonathan; nephew Jacob and niece Ashley) of Sayreville, NJ; brother, Matthew (wife Kimberly; nephew Colin) if Charlotte, NC; stepson, Jason (Angela Cutliff) Emerson of Davenport, IA; grandchildren, Bella, Skylar, Jaxxon, and Harley.

He was preceded in death by his father, John and wife, Melissa.

Memories may be shared online by visiting esterdahl.com.