Yorghi Turkmany, Jr.

Yorghi Turkmany, Jr., age 32 of Wayne, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, December 2, 2020.

Yorghi was born in West Palm Beach, Florida, the fourth child of George and Siham Turkmany. The first twelve years of his life were spent in Florida where he especially loved saltwater fishing at Lake Worth Beach and swimming in the warm waters of the Atlantic as well as in his family’s pool. Upon becoming a teenager, Yorghi’s family moved to Wayne, NJ. He attended George Washington Middle School and later, Wayne Valley High School.

Yorghi was the epitome of a free spirit. He could decide to take a trip to Florida and, in less than an hour, he’d be on his way leaving everyone wondering “Where did Yorghi go?” But he was a happy-go-lucky, loving kind of free spirit. Always smiling, he had a real gift for making you laugh and no one was better at making you feel better if you were feeling down. He was affectionate and was known among his family for giving his parents kisses on the forehead on a regular basis and bringing them fresh coffee every morning.

Yorghi had a real creative side which manifested itself in various ways. He enjoyed cooking – especially Syrian dishes and no one was better equipped to teach him the ropes in the kitchen than his dear mother Siham whom he loved to share cooking ideas with. From a young age, Yorghi showed a real talent for free-hand sketching and drawing. Later in his life, he took this gift of drawing and used the human body as his favorite canvas in the form of tattoos. At one time or another, just about everyone in his family had been the recipient of one of Yorghi’s tattoos – something they will, no doubt, treasure as a daily reminder of their love for him. He would also gladly give any of his friends a tattoo too!

Yorghi’s favorite ways to unwind usually involved listening to music, no doubt with his favorite Chihuahua named Lucky by his side. He listened mostly to rap, hip-hop, R&B, and the Arabic tunes of his ancestry. He definitely never listened to classical or country. He also was a number one fan of the Dallas Cowboys despite the fact that he didn’t live in Texas and his family always teased him by calling his team the Dallas Cowgirls.

Above all else, Yorghi loved people. He made friends easily and was one of the most helpful people you could have ever met. If you needed a hand, Yorghi would drop everything and be there in a flash to lend a hand or offer support.  

Yorghi was the son of George and Siham (Attieh) Turkmany of Wayne; brother of: Elias Turkmany and wife Victoria of Hackettstown, Bertha Qassar of Wayne, Loris Turkmany of Wayne, Touma Turkmany of Wayne, and Nadima Turkmany of Wayne; nephew of Badia Turkmany of West Palm Beach, FL and numerous other uncles and aunts. He was also the uncle of many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Yorghi’s name are asked to consider St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959, www.stjude.org.