Theodore Paul Townsend, 89

Theodore Paul Townsend – 1932 – 2022

Ted was born on June 25, 1932 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. His grandfather Townsend, his father and mother were all Methodist ministers in the Detroit Conference and he grew up in various parsonages in Michigan. He and Rosemary (deceased in 2012) met in Central High School in Flint and were married between their junior and senior years of college. Ted received a bachelor of Public School Music from Michigan State University (College) in 1954. While still in college Ted was asked to be interim pastor at the Henderson Methodist UMC that didn’t have a minister and during that time of service Ted received his call to the ministry. Ted received his M Div. (BD) at Garrett-Evangelical Theological School (Garrett Biblical Institute) in 1957 and at the same time earned an M.A. from Northwestern University. Following graduation, he & Ro went to Alaska where he served as pastor of the Seward Memorial Church, chaplain for the Jesse Lee Home for Children and chaplain for Wesleyan Hospital for Chronic Diseases. During the Alaska years, Ted and Ro had three children, Theodore Paul, Jr. (1958, deceased in 1963), Susan (1960) and John (1962). Susan and John reside in the Boston area. Following service in Alaska, Ted did graduate work in Old Testament at the University of Michigan where he received a Ph.D. in Old Testament in 1972. During his Old Testament Studies, Ted was minister of education and youth at the Ann Arbor, West Side and Ferndale United Methodist Churches. In 1972 Ted and Ro (with their two children) drove to India where they served as Methodist missionaries at Leonard Theological College in Jabalpur, India. Ted taught Old Testament, Pastoral Counseling and was Dean of the School of Theology. He was also associate pastor at the English Methodist Church. In 1989 Ted and Ro went to Sierra Leone. Here he taught at the Sierra Leone Theological College, Fourah Bay College and was associate pastor at King Memorial Church. In 1995 they left Sierra Leone because of the unstable political conditions there. In 1996 the Townsends went to Russia. In Russia, Ted taught at the newly founded United Methodist Seminary which was located in Moscow. Ted also taught two interim years at the Methodist Theological School in Ohio. Following Russia he & Ro settled down in Penney Retirement Community in 1998 where his grandparents Townsend had lived in the 1930s.

At the Penney Retirement Community he and Ro both served as president of the Symposium and through the years he has presented many papers to the Symposium. He and Ro traveled widely: backpacking, taking Elder Hostels, cruises and driving themselves. They traveled in all 50 states, 84 countries overseas and all 7 continents (serving as missionaries on four continents). They shared their travels with programs presented to PRC audiences.

Rev. Dr. Theodore Paul Townsend, Ph.D. passed away peacefully at Penney Retirement Community on January 19, 2022. He is survived by his daughter Susan Fendrock of Sudbury Massachusetts and his son John Townsend of Natick Massachusetts.

Plans for the Memorial Service are underway and will be posted here.

Arrangements are under the care of Russell Haven of Rest Cemetery, Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 2335 Sandridge Road, Green Cove Springs, FL  32043.  Family and friends may share their condolences at: www.RHRFH.com 904-284-7720