Donald Turbane

I went up to Long Island last October to see my brother-in-law Don. We had some pleasant conversations over the two days, catching up and trading memories, with Marietta supplying details when necessary. Don had some great memories of his family, youth and early career, many of which I hadn’t heard before. It was a mixed media presentation, since he had a store of photos that Marietta had stationed around the room.
One of the things that I most enjoyed about Don was his finely-tuned sense of Brooklyn irony. Even then he could field the banter and return it to you with wry “I-know-what-you’re-really-saying-and-I’ll-raise-you-one” look in his eye. What really got me during one conversation was the time he slipped into a recounting of his early jobs the time that he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers but was let go after a year because he was asking for too much money. It didn’t seem like it was the Alzheimer’s, but the spirit of Don that was shining through as he looked me straight in the eye and sent that one over the shortstop’s head.
I was struck during that visit (I don’t think I’d seen Don for about three years) by how accepting Don was of his situation, and how a very gentle man had become even more gentle. He seemed very much at peace with himself and the trajectory of his life. He was just like the Turbane Slider that they used to sell in the press box at Ebbets Field – smooth rye with a twist.
Rest in Peace , Don