According to several sources, former Richmond City Manager Isaiah Turner died on December 28, 2021, in Atlanta GA, from complications of lung cancer.

Isaiah Turner was born in 1945 in Louisiana, and the family relocated to Richmond after WWII, purchasing a home in the then new Parchester Village in 1951. He attended Richmond public schools and Contra Costa College. Later, he attended UC Berkeley for a time then took a job with nonprofit employment and training program, Opportunities Industrialization Center in Oakland. After 12 years, Turner moved to Seattle with Opportunities Industrialization Center and later went to work in a job training program for Washington State. He was later selected to head the Washington Department of Employment Security.

Eventually, Turner returned to Richmond where he headed the City of Richmond Department of Employment and Training. later, he was promoted to deputy city manager for economic development. When City Manager Floyd Johnson was fired in December of 1998, Turner was selected to replace him. He recalls:

…and then finally, the forces—I call it the constellation of forces [chuckles]—came at me again, and said, “Look, Isaiah, you got to take this job. You a homeboy, you from here, you ready for it, and the politics aren’t that bad.” So, I waited until the last day to apply, about three o’clock, then I applied. It was a national search thing. Again there was over fifty applicants and it came down to me and three other guys and the city council hired me in ’98. In ’98, I became city manager.

When the City of Richmond found itself with a $35 million deficit in 2003, Turner surprised the City Council by suddenly announcing he was leaving. Some thought the financial crisis was the cause, but Turner described it differently:

Because it was the kind of job where 24/7 you were on. Even when you weren’t there, you had to be available to the public, to the police chief, to the fire chief. If anything goes wrong or if there is some explosion at Chevron, I’m the first one that gets involved, as city manager. So I told the mayor and the city council one night—it was in October of 2003, and my contract ran to 2005—I told them that I had just come to a point where I thought it was in my best interest, particularly for my health, that I retire at this point in time. I’m almost 59. My dad died at 58 and I’m pleased that I’m past 58 but I want to see 59. [chuckles] I said, “So I’m out of here.” I gave them ninety days notice and I retired as Richmond city manager in January, 2004. So it’s been about a year and two weeks that I retired.  

In November of 2003, I wrote in the E-FORUM:

Richmond City Manager Isiah Turner announced today that he will retire approximately January 1, 2004. He stated that concern about his health was his principal motivation for ending five years of service as Richmond’s chief executive officer.

Mr. Turner’s plans were revealed to the City Council following an executive session prior to the City Council meeting last night - November 18, 2003. City Council members were caught completely by surprise, but all rallied behind the city manager and commended him for doing what was best for himself at a time that was appropriate and of his choice.

I have had my differences with Isiah Turner over the years, but I never doubted that he always did what he thought was best for all the citizens of Richmond. He listened to me and took my advice on more times than it sometimes seems like. He has also shown a great deal of courage in standing up to special interests on a number of occasions, whether it be big labor, big oil, or big lobbyist. Richmond is an extremely difficult, if not impossible, city to manage, and Turner made as good a go of it as perhaps anyone could have.

Shirley and I had the opportunity to spend a couple of weeks in China with Isiah and Penny last November, when we got to know them as friends. They are really nice people.

I wish Isiah the best in his retirement, a decision that has come at a particularly difficult time for him because of the fiscal challenges facing the City of Richmond. He made it clear that it was his desire to be able to steer Richmond through these difficult times and come out on the other side, but that he simply could not continue.

Beginning with Mr. Turner’s departure, Assistant City Manager and Community and Economic Development Director Jay Corey will serve as interim city manager.

Presumably, the City Council will soon launch a nation-wide search for Richmond’s next city manager.

After Turner Left, Assistant City Manager Jay Corey took over for a short time before abruptly leaving. Next was Assistant City Manager Leveron Bryant. After a few months, the City Council hired Phil Batchelor as interim city manager, and Phil recruited Bill Lindsay who served a remarkable 13 years.

The Turners moved to Atlanta, where I assume they have lived the last two decades.

For a fascinating glimpse of Richmond history, see Isaiah Turner’s oral history at https://digicoll.lib.berkeley.edu/record/103412?ln=en.