Turner died June 27, 2008 at the Santa Monica Hospital in Santa Monica, California, of complications from bone cancer. He is survived by his mother Grace Crick, his brother Jake Turner, and his fiancee Kelly Carmichael. Fathom vol. 3 #1, which was published on Wednesday, August 6, 2008, featured a tribute to Turner in the form of a stylized blue ribbon in the upper right hand corner of its cover, and its first page was a memorial to him. AspenMLT also published a trade paperback collection of writings from people who knew Turner, titled A Tribute to Michael Turner, which features a cover painted by Alex Ross.