Acres Home native Sylvester Turner went from labor to reward on Wednesday, March 5th, 2025, he was 70 years old. He diligently served the Houston com- munity in various capacities for over 40 years. His impact last not only in politics but in the lives of ev- eryone he served, he was more than a politician but a light of hope, a problem solver, and a voice for the people. He led Houston through historic Hurricane Harvey and a global pandemic, he fiercely advocated for underserved communities and became the driving force for impactful economic development initiatives. He will always be remembered as one of Houston’s most transformative leaders. Turner was born on September 27th, 1954, in Houston, TX to Eddie and Ruby Mae Turner; he was the sixth of nine children. He graduated from Klein High School in Klein ISD, at the time it was an all-white school and Turner was bussed there due to desegregation efforts, he graduated as valedictorian and went on to attend college at The University of Houston (UH). He graduated from UH magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1976. He then went on to attend Harvard Law School where he graduated with a Juris Doctor degree in 1980. After completing law school, Turner returned to Houston and worked at Fulbright and Jaworski law firm. Three years later in 1983 he founded his own law firm, Barnes and Turner he specialized in corporate and commercial law as well as working as an immigration lawyer. He also served the community by teaching at three law schools in Houston. He was an adjunct professor at Texas Southern University: Thurgood Marshall School of Law and a seminar lecturer at South Texas College of Law and the University of Houston Law School’s Continuing Legal Education Programs. A year after starting his law firm, Turner began his political pursuits he ran for Harris County Commissioner, Precinct 1 in the Democratic primary but fell short against EL Franco Lee. In 1988, he was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in House District 139 which […]
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