GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Baxter Community Center is remembering a leader in the Grand Rapids Community. Last week, Baxter Communities former Executive Director, Herschell Turner, passed away.
“He really had a heart for serving others. He really had a heart for giving others the opportunities that he had,” said Danielle Guinsler, Development Director
Turner passed away at the age of 86 on August 13.
“Once he got here, it was beyond just oh, he’s this great basketball star that the kids were sort of attracted to. He created this sense of community and this space where our neighbors could come together and share concerns,” said Guinsler.
Turner was a high school basketball legend in Indiana and went on to play at the University of Nebraska and then in the ABA. In 1991, he was inducted into the Indiana Hall of Fame. He spent most of his adult life in Grand Rapids and was the first director of …