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Mike Turney, who coached the All-Marine men’s softball team to the All-Armed Forces tournament title in 1999, died Saturday of terminal brain cancer at St. Louis University Hospital in Missouri. He was 53.

The retired master gunnery sergeant was best remembered in the military softball community for having coached a team including five Pacific-based Marines to the All-Armed Forces championship. He also coached the All-Armed Forces team, comprising seven players from the Pacific, six Marines and one Air Force.

Turney had been diagnosed with brain cancer on March 19 and underwent surgery on March 22 at St. Louis University Hospital, according to his Web site, http://www.miketurney.com. He died at 2:33 p.m. Saturday. A funeral service was held Tuesday at the Kutis South County Chapel in St. Louis. He will be buried with full military honors Friday in his hometown of Santa Ana, Calif.

Turney is survived by his wife Petty, son Chris (a Marine corporal), daughter Jillian and stepdaughter Erica.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the Marine Corps League, a veteran association for active and former Marines, in Turney’s honor. http://www.mcleague.org.

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