Obituary of Jean Elizabeth Townsend

Jean E. Townsend

Jean Elizabeth Barber Townsend passed peacefully from this life on Friday, July 28, 2017, at her home in Newton. 

   Jean's funeral service will be at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, August 1, 2017, at the Pence ~ Reese Funeral Home in Newton, with a visitation and coffee time an hour prior to the services. Burial will be in the Dell Park Cemetery in Natick, MA at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be left to Mercy Hospice, IPTV, Newton Public Library, or a charity of your choosing.  

   Jean Elizabeth Townsend, 97, was born September 19, 1919, in Natick, MA, eldest of eight children.  The daughter of Henry Albert and Ruth Isabel (Dunbar) Barber, she was a graduate of the Natick  High School, Class of 1937.  She went on to receive an Associate Degree as a medical secretary in Boston.

She later worked as both a medical assistant and medical secretary for physicians in the Natick area.

   In 1942 Jean was united in marriage to Terrance Gordon Townsend in Natick.  She and Terry moved to Newton in 1989, to be near their son Terry Jr. and Charlotte Townsend.  She was an active member of the Newton Congregational United Church of Christ, where she participated in circle, Bible study, and the deaconate.  Jean made communion bread for many years, helped with funeral luncheons, and community meals. RSVP Volunteer work took her to the Mayor’s office, United Way, the YMCA, and blood mobile, only to name a few.  Jean's hobbies included needlework, needlepoint and knitting numerous baby booties and outfits; as well as making counted cross stitch wedding samplers.  She also enjoyed baking and making preserves.  Jean was the queen of scrabble in her family, and was hard to beat in Words with friends.  She was an avid reader and especially appreciated time with her granddaughters and great- grandchildren.

   Jean is survived by her son Terry (Charlotte) Townsend of Newton; daughters: Ruth Townsend of Anchorage, Alaska and Susan Townsend of Newton; her three granddaughters: Lisa Townsend, Laura (Steve) Wilson and Heather (Tom) Luft; four great grandchildren: Madison and Fred Hays and Abbie and Ethan Luft; a brother Ken Barber of Natick; numerous nieces and nephews; and many good neighbors and friends.

   She was preceded in death by her parents; her beloved husband Terry; her son Bill; two sisters: Janet Bouret and Ruth Condon; and four brothers: Hank, Bill, Dick and Donald Barber.