Kristi Kathleen Dietz Turner, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, businesswoman and founder of Guided Discoveries, Inc. passed away on December 8, 2025 from a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease in Dana Point, California. She was 79. Kristi was peaceful and surrounded by loved ones at the time of her passing.

Kristi was born to Herman and Margaret (Kemp) Dietz in Indianapolis, Indiana on January 16, 1946. She went back to Los Angeles with her family very soon afterwards. When she was three, the family moved to Fresno, CA where she developed a love for farms and cowboy and western culture that she carried with her throughout her life.

The family returned to Los Angeles area for Jr. High and Kristi graduated from John Muir High School in 1963. She spent all her summers from elementary school through college as a camper then counselor at Camp Tocaloma Foxboro near Flagstaff, Arizona. Her Aunt Gertrude Dietz was the girls camp director, and Kristi loved camp more than anything. She would later use her experiences here when founding Catalina Sea Camp and the other Guided Discoveries camps.

In 1967, Kristi graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in Social Science and Elementary Education. Towards the end of her time in college, she met the love of her life, Ross Turner, and they were married on August 24, 1968. For the first two summers of their Marriage, Ross and Kristi worked together at Camp Indian Acres in Maine, where Kristi was the girls head counselor and Ross was the boys head counselor.

In 1976, with her husband Ross, Kristi transitioned her camp experiences into founding the Catalina Island Marine Institute at Cherry Cove on Catalina Island. With CIMI, and its parent company Guided Discoveries, Ross & Kristi were pioneers in Outdoor Education. In the early years, they both did everything, from cooking to leading the groups in Marine Science labs. As the company grew, Kristi handled the money and business side of the operation as business manager and Chief Financial Officer.

Kristi’s vast camp knowledge and her banker’s mentality in handling business affairs helped Guided Discoveries to flourish and expand – encompassing multiple CIMI programs on Catalina Island, Astro Camp and Tall Ship Expeditions. Now in its 45 ^th year, Guided Discoveries has educated over 1.5 Million young people in its programs.

Kristi believed in kindness and compassion. Her warmth, patience and belief in people were evident in every aspect of her life – with these traits, she helped build the camp communities at all the Guided Discoveries programs – they became places where people grow, connect and belong. From her time on the Island, Kristi built a large and unique collection of Catalina Pottery. She also made damn good chocolate chip cookies.

Kristi is survived by her brother William Dietz; her three children Stephanie, Doug and Craig and her 6 grandchildren Sage, Jack, Scarlett, Isla, Raven & Charlie, along with their families and extended loved ones.

A Memorial and Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, February 15, 2026 at 2pm at the Aliso Viejo Ranch, 100 Park Avenue, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656. The In-N-Out truck will be there to make us burgers. Wear jeans and western attire if you can.