Colin M. Turner ’20
Source: https://www.vtfuneralhomes.com/obituaries/Colin-M-Turner?obId=48985945
Colin Michael Turner, age 34, threw off the yoke of a lifelong battle with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and passed away peacefully and without fear in his own bed, in his own home, in the early morning of Saturday, July 11, 2026.
Colin was born in Winooski, VT, on April 6, 1992. He arrived a few weeks early, seemingly ready to get a jump on life. He took his first steps at 10 months and was an easy-going, happy, hilarious child right from the start. He was raised side-by-side with his cousin Mathewson, and they were partners in crime right from the get-go. Oh, the adventures they had (some of which we only heard about when they were grown). His beloved sister Holly arrived when he was 7 years old. Admittedly, there was a little bit of indifference at first due to the age gap, but as she grew, their love and bond bloomed. He relished his role as her fierce protector.
Diagnosed before birth, the symptoms of DMD slowly started to appear in the early years of elementary school. It began to affect his gait and ability to run fast. Colin, always a relatively passive child, showed his first signs of strength and resolve when he finally dealt with a classmate’s constant taunts of “slow-poke!” with a quick, decisive punch to his face.
The middle school years showed a further decline in strength, and he started using a custom-made scooter to get around between classes, and then later he was fitted for his first wheelchair. It took him about 5 minutes to master the driving skills needed, and he was an ace, maneuvering through classmates, crowds, narrow halls, sharp turns, and ramps.
His high school years were fun and full with an amazing, close-knit circle of friends who frequently gathered at his house for evenings of laughter, goofiness, food, movies, and games. He was a member of VTLSP/SADD and was chosen to attend the nationwide conference in Orlando, FL. It was an amazing experience. He attended both his junior and senior proms. Much to his chagrin (but to the delight of his friends), he was elected Prom King his senior year.
College was an amazing time for Colin. He attended Saint Michael’s College and was able to live on campus, independently (away from meddling parents) with the assistance and friendship of two amazing young men, Travis LeClair and Luke Heath. Through a shared schedule, each arrived like clockwork at 10 o’clock each night to be there for nighttime assistance. Lifelong friendships at SMC were forged with Wes, Tommy, David, Mike, Marlee, and Devan. Midnight hotdogs on the quad, visits to breweries and meaderies, laughter, jokes, crazy high jinks, and just the simplicity of hanging out together created indelible memories. Colin was a History major, one of his favorite classes being “The Plague” with Prof. Dameron. He was a World War I/II buff and could talk for days to anyone who would listen about battles, snipers, military vehicles, war strategies, etc. His 40-page senior thesis was entitled “The Battle of Stalingrad,” and he enjoyed writing every last word of it. He also felt no nerves or apprehension about the required 25-minute power point presentation at the end of the semester. He loved to talk about things that he was passionate about.
In the summers between college years, Colin worked at the City of Winooski Municipal Pool as the front desk person. He was able to get to work zooming across town in his electric wheelchair. During the school year, he volunteered a few hours each week at the Military Museum at Camp Johnson. He thoroughly enjoyed his time there, listening to and learning from the vets (many in their 80s) who also volunteered there. He began an internship in his senior year at Dealer.com (now Cox Automotive) which morphed into a full-time job after graduation from Saint Michael’s. He had a terrific boss, Jesse Paul, and a wonderful team & co-workers. He worked there right up until COVID and then continued to work from home until the continued decline in his health made it impossible.
The last three years of Colin’s life were the most challenging and chaotic, filled with a few medical emergencies, long hospital stays, and the ultimate decline in what he had left for mobility. Despite acquiring (in rather quick succession) a catheter, a trach, and a feeding tube, (he referred to himself as “Three-Tube Turner”), and being totally bedbound, he never let things defeat him or quell his amazing wit and spirit. He loved life in spite of the challenges and was going to grab anything and everything he could get. As his world started to get smaller, an amazing piece of technology allowed him to blow it right back open wide: an eye gaze machine, basically a computer, that he could operate with his eyes. As with his wheelchair years before, the learning curve was almost instant. The tech that came to the house to train Colin didn’t have to stay long at all! Colin could use FB, watch YouTube, order from Amazon, email/text friends, read books, listen to books, work on the book he was writing (fiction), listen to music, watch movies, etc. It was life-changing. It was his way to the outside world.
In spite of the challenges life often presented, Colin’s short tenure on earth was filled with happy times, such as many years of camping, spending the week at the Annual Gamelin Family Reunion and cultivating a long and deep friendship with Luke Heath who continued to be his nighttime caretaker at home for many years after college. He loved watching scary movies year-round but especially during “Spooky Season” (October, his favorite time of the year) with Luke (and partner Sabrina); playing video games with longtime friend Aces (Jordan) on Xbox Live since 2008 (although they never met in person, they formed a unique friendship bonded by the games and their conversations about politics, world events, and their own personal lives). A favorite pastime with his cousins Mat and Carter, was playing the same video game all in the same room, all with their own large screen TVs. Colin took many trips to Disney World, Florida, Boston, NYC, and a few special vacations in Washington DC. He thoroughly enjoyed any/all family gatherings, especially Yankee Swap each December. Even though he really didn’t care for football, he loved our Super Bowl parties, mainly for the food and the friends and family that would come. Colin enjoyed chatty visits with his good friend Gina (who seemed to be the one person in his life that could understand pretty much everything he said in spite of his whisper), He got a kick out of watching absolutely ridiculous movies with Carter, listening to music (rock, heavy metal), and collecting albums. He treasured all the time he spent with his sister watching Psych or just talking, laughing, and reminiscing about shared memories.
Colin will forever be remembered as a bright light. He freely offered us love, laughter, kindness, empathy, intelligence, smiles, goofy faces, sound effects, and fierce support and protectiveness for all those he held dear.
Colin is survived by his parents, Jeffry and Leslie (Gamelin) Turner, his cherished sister Holly Turner, his “brother from another mother” Mathewson Turner (wife Allison and daughter Ellie), his paternal grandmother, Jerrilee (Turner) Silk, his uncles Jason Gamelin (Katy), Jason Turner (Joanna), and his aunts Janis Turner and Donna Gamelin. He is also survived by his cousins, Carter Turner, Saige Roberts (Chris), Ethan Gamelin, and Aiden Gamelin.
He was predeceased by his paternal grandfather, Jeffry Turner, his maternal grandparents, Robert and Monica (Dorey) Gamelin, and his uncle, Michael Gamelin.
Many thanks to the following doctors and healthcare professionals who showed such care, kindness, empathy and humor during some challenging medical issues: Dr. Michael Latreille (Primary Care and so much more), Dr. Mark Plante (Urology), Dr. Damon Silverman (Ear, Nose and Throat), Dr. Eliot Nelson (Pediatrics), Janet DesLauriers (Respiratory Therapist), Becky Patrick (Respiratory Therapist), Kathleen Ouma (RN), and Johnnie McLaughlin (LPN).