Amir J. Tyson is grieving the loss of his grandfather, John C. Turner, who passed away at 94 on February 1, 2026. Amir shared an emotional tribute on social media, calling his grandfather “a true hero and great human being” and expressing that he would never forget him. The funeral mass was held on February 16 at St. Gabriel’s Roman Catholic Church in Washington, D.C.
John C. Turner was the father of Monica Turner, the second wife of Mike Tyson. Amir and his sibling, Ramsey Tyson, were born during Tyson’s marriage to Monica, which lasted from 1997 until their divorce in 2002. Monica is also the sister of Michael Steele.
Tyson and Monica first met in 1990 at a party hosted by Eddie Murphy. At the time, Tyson was still married to his first wife, Robin Givens. Their relationship later turned romantic while Tyson was serving a prison sentence, and they eventually married in April 1997.
While Amir appears to have shared a close bond with his grandfather, Tyson himself grew up without a stable father figure. His biological father, Purcell Tyson, was absent before he was born. Tyson believed for years that Jimmy Kirkpatrick, who had been involved with his mother Lorna Smith, was his father, but Kirkpatrick also left before Tyson’s birth.
Tyson eventually found guidance in legendary trainer Cus D’Amato, who became his legal guardian after his mother’s death in 1982. D’Amato played a pivotal role in shaping Tyson’s boxing career and personal discipline before passing away in 1985.
Despite his own difficult upbringing, Mike Tyson went on to build a family of his own. Amir’s tribute reflects the strong bond he shared with his grandfather and marks a moment of mourning for the Tyson family.