Thurman attended North Carolina State University, graduating with a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering (ceramics).

Following his service in Vietnam, Thurman became one of the few non-Academy graduates ever assigned as a company tactical officer at the United States Military Academy.

He retired in 1991 after more than thirty-seven years of service, and died in 1995 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, aged 64.

A funeral service was held on December 7, 1995, at the Fort Myer, Virginia, chapel, followed by interment at Arlington National Cemetery (Section 30, Grave 416-A-LH).

An award is given every year by the United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (MRMC) in honor of General Thurman.