FREDERICK S. TOWNSEND Sr.

TOWNSEND, FREDERICK S., SR. Frederick S. Townsend, Sr., of Hollis, NH and Cheshire, CT, passed away peacefully Tuesday morning, November 11, at the age of 102. Mr. Townsend was the possessor of the Boston Post Cane for the Town of Hollis, NH, as its oldest living resident. Mr. Townsend’s death was preceded by his wife, Doris, who died in 2001 after 67 years of marriage. He is survived by his daughter, Barbara Townsend, and her two sons Bill and Brian, and her granddaughter, Destiny, all from Hollis, NH. He is also survived by his son, Frederick S. Townsend, Jr., and his wife Corinne of Wolcott, CT, and his three sons, Frederick III of Hartford, CT, Christopher of Stamford, CT, and Robert of New London, CT, and his two daughters, Carolyn Shields of Phoenix, AZ, and Cynthia of San Ramon, CA, and his four grandsons Dominick of Redding, CA, and Liam, Kieran and Ayden Shields of Phoenix, AZ, and his great granddaughter Ellie Townsend of Redding, CA. Mr. Townsend’s great-great granddaughter Ellie was born two days before his death, so there were five living generations of Townsends for a period of three calendar days. Mr. Townsend was born in New Haven, CT, and lived on Norton Parkway for 40 years. He entered college two months before the 1929 stock market crash, and was the second of five generations to attend Lehigh University. His entire working career of 47 years was spent with the New Haven Savings Bank. He was a teller when all banking transactions were entered by hand into passbooks, and was so popular with customers that multiple people would wait in his line rather than go to an open window to be served. He was on the New Haven Savings Bank pistol team, and bowling team, in the New Haven Industrial League, and did score a rare feat of a 600 series in duckpin bowling. He was a very gentle soul with a dry sense of humor who thrived on organization, order, frugality and privacy. Up to age 100, he would walk by himself to a breakfast diner to be there when the doors opened at 6 a.m. He enjoyed working in his yard, building stone walls and a wildlife trail through his property, with an emphasis on natural landscaping. In the winter, he was an avid stamp collector who soaked, sorted, and packaged stamps to sell at cost to children through Junior Scholastic magazine in an effort to interest them in the hobby of stamp collecting. He was also an avid and accomplished bridge player with master points. Graveside services at Beaverdale Memorial Park will be private. Friends may call at the Hawley Lincoln Memorial, 493 Whitney Ave., Thursday from 6-8 pm. To sign the online guestbook please visit hawleylincolnmemorial.com