Terry Erwin Townsend

November 11, 1949–November 26, 2025

Terry Townsend passed away on November 26, after a brief but determined battle with cancer — a fight he approached with the same resolve and grit he applied to every challenge in his life.

Born and raised in Cleveland, Tennessee, Terry graduated from Bradley High School and Tennessee Tech University. As a young man, he dreamed of becoming an astronaut, but as he liked to say, he was “too tall and too blind” for NASA. Ever practical, he pivoted from aeronautical to mechanical engineering at the advice of a professor who assured him the field would allow him to “do more.” Terry took that to heart — and then spent a lifetime proving it true.

Professionally, Terry was a force. He was president of Townsend Engineering Inc., with offices in Chattanooga and Panama City, for 38 years, working side-by-side with his faithful colleagues and dear friends Kay Thrasher and Aggie Decker. A Fellow of ASHRAE, he served as the Society’s president in 2006–07, and championed meaningful milestones: launching the Society’s first certification program, accelerating the Advanced Energy Design Guide series, and promoting ways to reduce the environmental footprint of ASHRAE’s own operations. Sustainability wasn’t just a professional interest; it was a calling deeply connected to his pride in his Cherokee heritage and his desire to preserve the natural world.

Terry had a long love affair with baseball, a passion passed down from his father. He cheered on the Atlanta Braves from boyhood and played competitively well into his 50s in Chattanooga’s senior men’s baseball league. Off the field, he was equally committed to strength and learning: he owned enough books to fill a library and enough weights to stock a modest gym, all part of his lifelong mission to keep his mind and body strong.

His life’s love was his wife, Leatha, with whom he shared 23 years of joy, partnership, and globe-spanning adventures. Terry treasured his family deeply and remained close to his parents throughout their lives. After their passing, he moved back into the home he grew up in — a place he protected and preserved with great devotion.

Terry believed life was best shared with a dog, and he nearly always had one at his side. If you believe that all dogs go to heaven, then his most recent companions — Tut, Marley, and Buddy — surely greeted him at the pearly gates with tails wagging.

Though Terry wasn’t much of a beachgoer himself, he made many beach trips because the people he loved enjoyed them, and it brought him joy to see them happy. However, he did love fresh seafood, and he took the all-you-can-eat approach very seriously.

If you knew him long enough, he probably recommended a book or article he thought you should read, and maybe a supplement he insisted would change your life. Terry believed in improvement, in effort, and in not settling for less than excellent. He held himself to the highest standards and expected the same from others. Yes, he could be stubborn and demanding, but those who loved him understood it came from his drive, his competitiveness, and his refusal to do anything halfway.

Terry was preceded in death by his parents, Pauline and Erwin Townsend. He is survived by his devoted wife, Leatha; children Tiffany Townsend (Todd Matthews), Tara Zimmerman (Douglas), Tony Raines (Maggie) and Scott Raines (Wanda); and multiple grandchildren and great-grandchildren who will carry his legacy forward.

The family extends heartfelt thanks to the 4th Floor West nursing staff at Parkridge Hospital, the radiation team at the Sarah Cannon Cancer Center, and Dr. Derek Holland and Monica Chamberlain of Tennessee Oncology for their exceptional care.

Visitation will be held at Poole Funeral Home in Cleveland, TN, on Wednesday, December 3rd from 11am-1pm with service at 1pm. Interment to follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the American Cancer Society.