Paul Len Turok was born to count many blessings:
Building a sweet life with Vivian (Viv); moving from South Africa to Virginia at just the right time; feeling embraced by the local Jewish community; raising two healthy children with good souls and great hair; and designing and building bold spaces for people to live, work, and gather. He made lifelong friends year after year.
An artist architect, Paul always found something to smile about. His biggest blessing was Vivian, his life partner of 42 years. Beaming brightly wherever they went, Paul and Viv loved hard on their friends and family, but it was the way they cherished each other’s company daily that was a blessing of rare intensity and duration.
Paul passed away 10 days before the birth of their fourth grandchild. Parker Lane Turok, born on March 26, 2021, shares the initials P.L.T. with her grandfather. This burst of new life has Davey Turok soaking up his father’s affirming parenting practices like a sponge.
“We all miss him so much, and it honestly doesn’t seem real that he is gone,” says Davey. “The biggest thing I learned from my dad, and I hope to pass along to my kids is not how to succeed, but how to fail. Out of every negative he would challenge me to find a positive. He taught me that as long as you have the right mindset, you can never lose. You either win or you learn.”
Keeping Paul’s powerful presence is not a struggle for Davey and his younger sister Lindi Gold, but facing his loss on a daily basis, can be.
“He was my sounding board, my spiritual guide, and my voice of reason. Something he would always say to us (and I will teach to my kids) is to ‘keep a cool head,’” says Lindi. “For anyone who knew my dad, it is perfectly fitting for the type of person he was.”
–Lisa Richmon