Minho Elias Turner, age 16, of Nolensville, TN, died to this life on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, surrounded by dear loved ones, and is now in the glorious presence of his loving Creator and eternal Father. Minho was born in Seoul, South Korea on Tuesday, January 26, 2010. A jewel of life hidden within the stark cold of a winter’s day, he burst forth with spring to bring new life to Denise and Scott Turner on Tuesday, April 10, 2012, when he joined their family as their first child. Full of passion and depth, Minho was a person inside whom flowed deep rivers of emotion and conviction. From these waters, he loved fiercely and fought mightily. He was not afraid to speak up for what he believed was right, he had a strong desire to advocate for organizations that served others, and he felt a yearning to one day participate in international mission work. Minho was an open book and extremely honest. He never left you guessing what his thoughts or opinions were. Minho was an old soul, and even his tiny toddler body seemed to house a wise, old sage. From a young age, he was comfortable conversing with adults and asked questions with insight and depth beyond his years. He loved God and His Son Jesus, and as an early elementary student desired to move to an older Bible class, where he could have “meat”. Although he was skilled at engaging adults, Minho was also good with younger children. He was very playful at heart and enjoyed games, rough-housing, and goofing off. He had a heart for inclusion and a special understanding with and sensitivity toward his cousins who have special needs. He was always ready to come to their aid and defend them against any insult. Minho was wildly creative. An idea guy, he could dream up the biggest plans and then bring together any willing adults and whatever resources were at hand to make his vision become a reality. Innumerable forts, figures, and even a grotto came to being this way! Minho loved to draw, especially houses and anime, and over the years he also enjoyed ceramics, painting, knitting, stained glass, and cooking. He could make a mean chocolate cake from scratch! Minho was a movie connoisseur, and from a young age, enjoyed going to the theater with family members, especially his mom. He also loved watching movies at home and had a broad range of movie interests from Disney to Marvel to old comedies and classic action films. The first movie he saw in the theater was Inside Out, which is kind of the way he lived his life, putting everything that is on the inside out there. Throughout his elementary years and early adolescence, Minho thrived learning the art of Taekwondo with Masters Martial Arts, earning the distinction of red belt. In his teenage years, his sporting interests turned more toward football. He became a committed Cincinnati Bengals fan and was also loyal to the Vanderbilt Commodores. He played a couple of seasons of community flag football and tried his hand at tackle football with his middle school. More than these, he enjoyed throwing the football or playing a pickup football game with friends at school or in the backyard with family members. Minho enjoyed traveling, especially family vacations to the beach, camping with his aunt and uncle, spending time at the lake with extended family, and even embarking on a couple of cruises. He was an experienced international traveler, as well, journeying to the Cook Islands and Armenia and making a pilgrimage back to South Korea. Throughout his childhood and adolescence, Minho enjoyed books and had many favorites, including The Book with No Pictures, Goofy Minds the House, Maybe God Is Like That Too, and The Rabbit Listened as well as the book series Harry Potter, Keeper of the Lost Cities, and Percy Jackson. Minho had somewhat eclectic musical interests, especially enjoying Disney songs and hymns and worship music in his early years and Oldies and contemporary Christian music as he grew older. A couple of his favorite songs were “Walking Free” by Micah Tyler and MercyMe’s “Even If”, both of which speak encouragement and wisdom for such a time as this. A couple of his favorite Bible passages are Psalm 23 and Numbers 6:24-25. Now that he truly has walked through the valley of the shadow of death, he is dwelling in the house of the Lord and, from there, may very well say to all of us, “May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord give you peace.”
Minho is survived by many loving family members, including his devoted parents, Denise and Scott Turner and the little sister for whose arrival he prayed for many years, Jiyeon Ella Turner; second family, maternal aunt and uncle, Valerie and Forrest Busler and their children, Robby, Mikko, and Nurai Busler (Nashville, TN); maternal grandparents, Judy and Frank McMurray (Murfreesboro, TN); paternal grandparents Sandra Turner (Knoxville, TN) and Beverly and Pat Turner (Hiawassee, GA); honorary grandparents Elynor and Roger Busler (Clarksville, TN); and a host of other extended family and church family members.
The family would like to thank Heartland Boys Academy in Nebo, KY for the spiritual nourishment and personal growth they fostered in Minho during the seven weeks that he spent there as well as the nurses, physicians, and staff of Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital PICU, who provided thoughtful and compassionate care through his illness.
Services will be held to honor and remember Minho Elias Turner this Saturday, February 28, 2026, in Nolensville, TN. Minho will be laid to rest at the Nolensville Cemetery located at 9636 Clovercroft Rd, Nolensville, TN 37135, at 1:30 pm. The family will receive friends and loved ones at The Church at Nolensville located at 7388 Nolensville Road, Nolensville, TN 37135, from 2:30 to 4:00 pm. Minho’s Celebration of Life will be held at 4:00 pm, also at The Church at Nolensville. Phillip Camp of Natchez Trace Church of Christ will be officiating.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Minho’s memory to Heartland Boys Academy (heartlandboysacademy.com), Natchez Trace Church of Christ (1700 Natchez Trace, Nashville, TN 37212), or Friends of Kijabe Hospital (https://friendsofkijabe.org/give/).
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This obituary was published by Woodbine Funeral Home – Waller Chapel.
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