Golden Years, page 19
By the late 1980s we were becoming quite the family! Life was good, and the fun flowed freely. It was also when I decided to lose the mustache. Jenny, who had never seen me without it, cried the first time she saw me clean-shaven.
My favorite photo of Toni. She was an eager volunteer. This shows her as a standard-bearer at a professional golf tournament. She was youthful and feisty, and I loved her with my whole heart—especially when she was being a smart-ass.
I loved going to a particular working dude ranch when we had a couple of days off. Unfortunately, Toni did not share my excitement for the Wild West and always wished we were at the beach. I don’t blame her; she was thrown from a horse on our first visit to this ranch.
After school, I continued to play baseball and basketball for many years. But the lessons I got from marathon running were the greatest for life. In total, I ran eight marathons that taught me commitment to a goal, long-term planning, patience, and the ability to rise above pain.
Convincing my dad to travel to Mexico after my mom passed away was a miracle. He had never been out of the country. Fortunately, my brother Darrin (pictured here) was a veteran of many trips to Mexico and made the difference in getting Dad to go. And Dad loved it! He considered the free ice cream at the resort buffet a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
My daughters only made me tearful twice: once at Jenny’s wedding, pictured here; and once at Angie’s. Watching my two girls grow up into successful wonderful women has been a constant source of pride.
As time marches on, one of the greatest gifts life has to offer is becoming a grandparent. It is confirmation that the values and character you instilled in your own children will continue for another generation.
I was so thankful my daughters lived near Toni and me. Holiday traditions grew stronger with each passing year. And with each family addition, the joy and entertainment also grew.
Granddaughter Payton needed a toy box, and I needed a reason to build one. Family symbiosis at its best!
It was a bittersweet day when Angie got married to Rob. Toni had done all the flowers for Jenny’s wedding, and the plan was for her to do the same for Angie. Sadly, it was not to be. This was the first big family event without the matriarch of the Turner clan. As a tribute to her mom, Angie (and friends) did all the flowers for the wedding.
Wanna get blown away? Try this experience—be in downtown New York at the Good Morning America building and look up to see your own picture on a billboard several stories tall! I still remember the moment my car turned the corner, and the view took my breath away.
I have the greatest friends EVER. They are so good that they threw a party at my house when I was in LA taping The Golden Bachelor and sent me pictures. My most trustworthy and loyal friends knew all the GB secrets before anyone else.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I want to gratefully acknowledge the invaluable assistance of everyone who kept me on the right track with this project, and the people close to me who helped fill in the holes of my memory.
First and foremost, I want to thank Rebecca Paley—my literary best friend for life!! She called herself a “puzzler,” and by the end of the writing process I understood why. Yes, it was my writing and my words, but without Rebecca putting them in the right order I would have never made the finish line. I’ve come to respect her skills and value my new friendship with her.
Next, I want to acknowledge Jacqui Young and the team of professionals at Grand Central Publishing. I will be eternally thankful that she took a chance on me and this book. Without her good judgment and foresight, this book would not exist.
Of course, I want to thank Joe Veltre, Alec Shankman, and the entire staff of Gersh Talent Agency for helping me land at a great publishing house and walking me through every step of the process. I extend a special thanks to the Gersh team for always protecting my interests—even when I was trying to self-destruct.
A special “Thank you” goes out to ABC, Disney, and Warner Brothers, who gave me the experience of a lifetime and the genesis of this book. Producers Jason Ehrlich, Deb Weatherford, Bradford Dworak, and all the wonderful crew of the Golden Bachelor production team have a special place in my heart.
I want to acknowledge the twenty-two beautiful, intelligent, and graceful women of my Golden Bachelor season. Oh, the stories I could have told about this magical group! Thank you for Hope, Humor, and Heart. I love you all.
Finally, I want to thank my daughters, Jennifer and Angela, who provided love and support and confidence that was never-ending. They fact-checked dates and events and times and people and everything else I needed to throw at them. I am at peace when I am with them and think about them constantly when I am not. I am so blessed to have them.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A proud seventy-three-year-old grandfather-turned-TV-personality, Gerry Turner was ABC’s first ever Golden Bachelor. He came to star on the senior-focused spin-off of The Bachelor following the tragic loss of Toni, his high school sweetheart and wife of forty-three years, in 2017. Now that he’s officially retired, Gerry is a passionate advocate for seniors who still believe in hope, humor, and heart.
Gerry Turner, Golden Years
