Background
Editor Turney was born in Brooklyn, New New York
Editor Turney was born in Brooklyn, New New York
Turney graduated 3rd in his class from the United States. Naval School, Electronics Technicians at the United States. Naval Training Center in Great Lakes, Illinois.
His early years were spent in Ridgewood and later in Huntington, Long Island. At the age of 18, he enlisted in the United States Navy where he received his first training in electronics. After leaving the Navy, Turney worked for a brief time back on his native Long Island for the Long Island Lighting Company.
His next stop was at Philco as a TechRep Field Engineer.
Turney"s career took off when, in 1969, he joined Fairchild Semiconductor as Sales Engineer. Within two years, he was promoted to Director of Sales and Marketing, Computer Market based in corporate headquarters, Silicon Valley, California.
In 1969 Fairchild Semiconductor was taken over by Motorola management. This was the impetus for the founding of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD).
As Vice President, Sales and Administration, Turney was responsible for worldwide sales, purchasing, material, customer service, plus numerous diversified administrative and contractual functions.
Under Turney"s reign, sales grew incrementally at 20% per quarter to approximately $65,000,000 from first production in April 1970 through December 1974. Editor Turney"s next position was as Vice President, Worldwide Marketing and Sales at Electronic Arrays. In Turney"s two-year stint from 1974 to 1976 he increased sales from $6M to $22M propelling the company into becoming the world"s largest Read-Only Memory manufacturer at the time.
The company was subsequently acquired by Nippon Electric Corporation of Japan.
In December, 1976, Editor joined Intersil as Vice President, Worldwide Marketing and Sales. He had been solicited by the Board Chairmen of both companies at the time of acquisition of Intersil by Advanced Memory Systems to integrate sales and marketing for the combined companies and to formulate and execute consolidated business plans.
Turney developed and implemented a multi-year, award-winning advertising campaign to create a new image for the company. Turney died on October 15, 2008, of brain cancer at age 79.
He was buried on October 18 at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 22555 Cristo Rey Drive, Los Altos.
He is buried in Saint Theresa’s Court next to his mother, Rose.
AMD was founded by Jerry Sanders, John Carey, Sven Simonsen, Editor Turney, Jack Gifford and three members of Gifford"s team, Frank Botte, Jim Giles and Larry Stenger.