Herbert L. Turney

Herbert L. Turney, of Wayland and Mashpee, MA, died peacefully in the early morning of December 15th. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Deborah M. Turney.

Herbert, son of David and Midred (Niman) Turney, was raised in Chelsea, MA before attending Brandeis University and Boston College Law School. Upon graduation from law school, he joined the Advice Branch at the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C. and later in Boston. From there, he began his lifetime career in the private practice of labor and employment law, starting at the firm of Benjamin Gordon. He joined Widett, Slater & Goldman P.C. where he became a partner, leaving in 1993 to join the Boston office of Jackson Lewis P.C. In 2008, he retired as a partner of Jackson Lewis and became in-house special counsel at Milton Cat (Southworth-Milton Inc.) a long-time client from his earlier lawyering days. He leaves a legacy of building warm and trusting relationships, and always striving to build bridges between labor and management.

Herbert spent summers at Cape Cod, playing golf with his buddies, taking long walks over the bridge at Popponesset, and following a ritual of late afternoon beach visits with his family and friends. He loved music, sang in the Temple Beth Elohim choir and Sharim, and was known to belt out a Bob Dylan song or two on guitar. His love for music was shared by his family and his daughters all followed in his footsteps of singing and playing guitar.

He is survived by his three loving daughters and their spouses, Linda and Ira Skolnik, Dana and Jay Hagenbuch, and Beth and Jon Rutchik. Herbert was an adoring and loving “Papa” to five grandchildren, Jonah and Zara Skolnik, Mo and Samuel Hagenbuch, and Rex Rutchik, and his sister and brother-in-law, Sandra and Mark Ibsen.

Herbert will be laid to rest in a private funeral on Sunday, December 20th followed by an evening shiva on Zoom. Please contact Temple Beth Elohim for shiva information. Donations in his memory can be made to Temple Beth Elohim, 10 Bethel Road, Wellesley, MA 02481.