Thomas Nicholas Turk, 89, of Denton passed away on August 24, 2021. He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on January 11, 1932 to Nicholas and Ragnhild Marie Turk.

Thomas Nicholas Turk is a decorated war veteran who spent more than two decades serving in the U.S. military. He was awarded seven Bronze Star Medals, the Purple Heart, and a Combat Infantry Badge for his heroism in Vietnam and Korea. After enlisting and serving in the Army, Thomas received an Army Officer Reserve Commission as First Lieutenant in the Minnesota National Guard. He was recalled into active duty and served two combat tours in Vietnam. Thomas retired as a Lieutenant Colonel and began his second career as a lawyer in Dallas, Texas for twenty years.

Before enlisting in the Army, Thomas graduated from Edison High School in northeast Minneapolis. He earned two bachelor's degrees in English and History from the College of St. Thomas, where he led the football team to a state football championship in 1956. After graduating, Thomas taught and coached at Roosevelt High School where he led the hockey team to a historic state championship win. Thomas also earned a Master's degree in Education from the University of Wisconsin.

As a lawyer, Thomas served as president of the Garland Bar Association and officiated as a football referee in his spare time. He was an avid Dallas Cowboys fan who enjoyed traveling, fishing, reading and American history. Thomas was a generous person with a kind heart, who always offered a helping hand to anyone in need. He was a loving and devoted husband and father to his family, who will always honor his life of service to our country knowing that God has said well done, good and faithful servant. Thomas was preceded in death by his first wife and mother of his children Carolyn Renee Turk. He is survived by his wife, Annelise Guyer, his brother Nick Turk, his sister Barbara Brown, his children Nick Turk, Theresa Money, Carolyn Guerra, Tom Turk, Jr., Marie Lamb, Joan Daigle, Jeanette Simmons, 16 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held in the chapel of DeBerry Funeral Directors on Thursday, September 2, 2021 at 10:00 AM. Interment will follow at 1:30 PM at the Dallas/Ft. Worth National Cemetery in Dallas, Texas.