Kent council member Turner hopes to return after long illness

Absent from his duties since March 18, Kent Councilman Robin Turner said he hopes to return to council meetings by the end of the month.

Speaking to The Portager from a rehab facility in Cuyahoga County, Turner said he had suffered a “serious illness” that left him with ongoing physical constraints. He said he hopes to be transferred to a Kent or Ravenna facility soon and to eventually return to his Kent home.

He said he had been feeling unwell since January, but had not monitored his health or managed the regimen needed to maintain his chronic conditions. After he failed to keep several medical appointments in early March, Kent police conducted a welfare check and called for medical assistance. 

“I guess I tried to act like I was 25 and didn't have the maladies I do, but it caught up to me. Some people aren’t disciplined enough, and evidently I’m one of those. Hopefully I can learn. I'm paying a real price, one I would rather not have have to pay,” he said.

Born in Chicago, Turner and his family arrived in Kent’s south end neighborhood when he was 4 years old. He attended Kent State University for three years, then began a career in the weights and measurements section of the Portage County Auditor’s Office. He was also employed as a consultant for PARTA’s ride share program and helped keep Kent’s Union Baptist Church clean and in good working order.

Turner was first appointed to council in January 2008 after the death of long-time Council Member Bill Schultz, whom Turner considered a close friend and mentor. Having won the November 2015 Ward 3 council election, he returned to City Council in 2016 and was reelected again in 2019 and 2023.