Grandmother, pioneer in outdoor education

Kristi Kathleen Dietz Turner, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, businesswoman and founder of Guided Discoveries, Inc., died December 7, 2025 in Dana Point, California after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was 79. “Kristi was peaceful and surrounded by loved ones at the time of her passing,” her family shared.

Krisi and her family lived in Claremont for 25 years, with Guided Discoveries’ business office located in the Village for most that time.

She was born in Indianapolis on January 16, 1946 to Herman and Margaret (Kemp) Dietz. Her family moved to Los Angeles soon afterwards, then to Fresno, California, 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 when she was in junior high, and she graduated from John Muir High School in Pasadena 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 she loved camp more than anything. She would later use her experiences when she founded Catalina Sea Camp and the other Guided Discoveries camps.

In 1967, she graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in social science and elementary education. Toward the end of her time in college, she met the love of her life, Ross Turner, and they were married August 24, 1968. For the first two summers of their marriage, the couple worked together at Camp Indian Acres in Maine, where she was the girls head counselor and Ross was the boys head counselor.

In 1976, with her husband, she applied her camp experiences in founding the Catalina Island Marine Institute at Cherry Cove on Catalina Island. With CIMI, and its parent company Guided Discoveries, the couple 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, she handled the money and business side of the operation as business manager and chief financial officer.

Her vast camp knowledge and 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 more than 1.5 million young people in its programs.

“Kristi believed in kindness and compassion,” her family said. “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.”

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

A memorial and celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, February 15, 2026 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,” her family said.