TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Environmentalist and cable pioneer, Ted Turner, passed at his Florida ranch on Wednesday at the age of 87, according to CBS.
Turner, most known for founding CNN, also had a passion for conservation. According to a statement from Turner Enterprises, Turner donated over a billion dollars to help save endangered species and preserve more than two million acres of land around the country.
He owned several ranches, one of which is located in Lamont, Florida. Avalon, situated just outside of Tallahassee, spans more than 20,000 acres.
He owned several ranches, one of which is located in Lamont, Florida. Avalon, situated just outside of Tallahassee, spans more than 20,000 acres.(Matt Kienitz/WCTV)
In a 2004 interview with Architectural Digest, Turner said they reintroduced the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker to the area.
In that same interview he said he “spends more time at Avalon than anywhere else,” even saying he got married on the property.
Turner had long-lasting and deep ties to Jefferson County, working with the Jefferson County Youth Council for 20 years and dedicating time to the Agricultural Extension Office.
Jefferson County residents said Turner approached them about starting a youth-focused organization shortly after he moved to the county in the 80’s.
Residents say they didn’t see much of him in person, but saw and felt his generosity through funding for the Youth Council and local schools that spanned decades.
Former Jefferson County High School teacher Marilyn Halsey said Turner’s donations were able to support students and offer experiences they may not have had.
“We ended up taking the children to Montgomery, to Nashville, to Atlanta to see different historical places. I just spoke with one of the teachers who spearheaded it. She said that one girl told her she would have never been able to have gone any of those places had it not been from the grant money we got from Ted Turner,” Halsey said. “We don’t have a lot of resources in Jefferson County for things like that.”
Turner had long-lasting and deep ties to Jefferson County, working with the Jefferson County Youth Council for 20 years and dedicating time to the Agricultural Extension Office.(Matt Kienitz/WCTV)
Turner, who was born in 1938 in Ohio, co-founded CNN on June 1, 1980 with Reese Schonfeld in Atlanta. It was the first 24-hour cable news channel in the United States.
Turner and his company built an extensive portfolio over the next two decades, including Cartoon Network and New Line Cinema.
He is survived by his five children, 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
In a statement from Turner Enterprises, the family said a private service for Turner is planned and a public memorial will be held at a later date.
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