Lynn D. Townsend, 88, of Colchester, Vt., passed away peacefully on July 2, 2025, after a brief illness.
Lynn was born on March 16, 1937, in Grand Rapids, Mich., to Elizabeth and Robert Townsend. The family moved to Arizona, where Lynn grew up and went to school before joining the U.S. Navy. While in the Navy, Lynn honed his electrical skills, which became his assets after he joined IBM as a systems engineer in 1962. His career at IBM spanned 30 years.
Lynn was truly a jack-of-all-trades. He could fix anything, from cars to boats to kitchen sinks. His greatest joys were fishing, boating, bowling and spending time with family.
Lynn is survived by his wife, Bernice; son, Robert (Sharon) Townsend; daughters, Susan (Michael) VanKoevering and Sandra (James) Franklin; and his eight grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
Lynn was predeceased by his sisters, Carol Coffman and Kay Little, and his brother, Larry Townsend.
A private celebration of Lynn’s life will be held at the discretion of the family.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the McClure Miller Respite House in Colchester, Vt. Please visit awrfh.com to share your memories and condolences.
This article appears in Jul 2-8, 2025.