Jacksonville mother starts UF scholarship fund in memory of son who died

Brice Turner, 23, had a scholarship created by his mother at the University of Florida's Nuclear Engineering program. (WJXT, Copyright 2024 by WJXT News4JAX - All rights reserved.)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville mother started a scholarship fund at the University of Florida in her son’s name who died in a car crash in November 2023.

RELATED: 23-year-old killed when pickup truck crosses into oncoming traffic on Waldo Road: FHP

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Bridget Turner, his mother, has a closet full of her son’s possessions. It includes a lot of Legos.

Brice Turner's Lego collection (Copyright 2024 by WJXT News4JAX - All rights reserved.)

It’s something that he loved.

Turner described her son as an inquisitive person who loved his sister.

He also loved the Jaguars.

“He was a season ticket holder and actually for Christmas, prior to November 12, for Christmas, I have numerous photos of Brice in Jaguar gear or at the stadium from the time he was like 2. And I was going to make him an album,” Turner said.

Brice Turner (Copyright 2024 by WJXT News4JAX - All rights reserved.)

She said one of his last memories is sitting at EverBank Stadium on November 12, 2023.

After the Jags versus 49ers game ended, he started the drive back to school at UF.

But he didn’t make it.

“At 11:30 that night FHP knocked on our door and told us,” Turner said.

The 23-year-old lost control of his truck went into oncoming traffic and hit another truck on Waldo Road south of 55th Terrace.

Brice Turner with his family (Copyright 2024 by WJXT News4JAX - All rights reserved.)

It’s been six months since he died.

“It’s been difficult, but I have found by channeling my energy, it helps,” Turner said.

That energy is going towards “The Brice Turner Memorial Fund”.

It’s a scholarship fund meant to help graduate students like her son who was in the UF Nuclear Engineering program.

“Brice didn’t get to finish what he was working on. So this way they’ll always be, once we meet the minimum, there will always be money in his name for graduate students within nuclear engineering at UF,” Turner said.

It’s something she said would make Brice proud.

Turner said they are trying to raise 100,000 for the endowment because that’s what UF requires.

She also mentioned that Brice would have graduated with a master’s degree and had plans to go for his Ph.D.

Click here to donate and for more information about The Brice Turner Memorial Fund.


About the Author

Khalil Maycock joined the News4JAX team in November 2022 after reporting in Des Moines, IA.

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