Lewis Joseph Turchi

If you knew Lou Turchi, you probably still have the smell of his kitchen in your nose. It wasn’t Sunday unless he was (without ever allowing any help or assistance) making a feast. Veal piccata, chicken, sausage, and peppers, prime rib, osso buco—his recipe book, filled with his own creations, will live on for generations to come. Although he was published multiple times in Bon Appétit Magazine, he was not actually a chef by trade.

Lewis Joseph Turchi, of Palos Verdes Estates, was born to Italian immigrants in 1932 in Los Angeles—and took the idea of the American dream literally. After attending George Washington High School, he enlisted in the Navy during the Korean War and made his way by train from Los Angeles Union Station south to Camp Pendleton. He later found himself sailing around the world on the USS George Clymer where he initially drove landing craft and later became a dental technician, something that would change the entire course of his life.

After he was discharged, he married Frances (née Posito) in November of 1953. He attended college with the goal of pursuing dentistry due to his experience in the Navy. In 1958 he and Fran, along with their two young children, Valaree and Jeffrey, left Los Angeles for San Francisco where he started dental school at the College of Physicians and Surgeons (which later merged with the University of the Pacific). After graduation, the family moved to the new community of Palos Verdes, where they had two more children, Scott and Kimberly, and he started his own dental practice.

Throughout the course of his career, he held many positions: President of the California Dental Association, Trustee to the American Dental Association, President of the State Board of Dental Examiners, among many others. His biggest accomplishment of all may be the fact that he practiced for 64 years until he was 92 years old, seeing patients and serving his beloved community, something his granddaughters loved to brag about.

He always said, “Life is not a dress rehearsal,” so work wasn’t everything and he never delayed doing things he enjoyed. Every meal he made for his family felt like a special occasion—the table always had an intricate table cloth with matching napkins, flowers in the middle, a basket of warm bread, and tableware that most people would only use for holidays. He would want to be remembered as much by a random dinner in August, as a holiday celebration. Christmas Eve was the culmination of a year of good meals. His family would devour his homemade stuffed shells, delicious sausages, and trays of cold cuts, all while sitting around the Christmas tree, which was always the biggest one he could find on the lot.

He loved to travel, taking his family on ski trips to Utah, flying to Germany to buy a Mercedes directly from the source, and embarking on road trips visiting the great American west.

Though he did not talk much about his own military experiences, he wanted to learn everything there was to know about WWII, more specifically the D-Day invasion. He ended up taking seven trips to Bayeux, France (his last being when he was 89) with his sons, staying in his favorite hotel, The Villa Lara, and learning the ins and outs of everything that happened in June 1944. For each trip, he wrote and created a book with the specifics of that vacation, titled “The Band of Turchis.”

When he wasn’t traveling the world, he loved to watch UCLA basketball (which he would turn off quickly if they started losing and watch the recording later if they won), Blue Bloods, Hallmark movies, Band of Brothers, chick flicks, and even sometimes Keeping up with the Kardashians. Until late in life, he was also an avid racquetball player and a photographer, taking pictures of the beautiful Palos Verdes sunsets, cliffs, and coastline.

Even as he aged, Lou found elderly people annoying, frequently using the phrase, “That’s for old people!” He kept up on the latest technology and even discovered Lululemon before it was cool, introducing his granddaughters to a world of athleisure apparel. He didn’t groan while standing or complain about his body hurting. He willed himself to stay young and it worked for a very long time.

Up until the bitter end, he insisted, “It’s not my time yet.” Although his time did eventually come, there is still truth to his catchphrase, as every person around him will carry this mentality through the rest of their lives. If you ever told Lou something was “good,” he would respond, “It’s more than good!” That was just how he lived his life to the absolute fullest, never waiting for later, proving that age truly is just a number. He will be sorely missed, especially at supper time.

Our heartfelt thanks go out to the staff at the brand new UCI-Irvine Hospital, who never once looked at him like a 93 year old patient, but instead a person who had the fight to keep living. We will be forever grateful for their sincere compassion in his final days.

In lieu of flowers, gifts can be made in Lou’s name to: University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine – Neurology Department General Support Fund https://secure.give.uci.edu/donation/?COA1=004635&COA2