1943 – 2014

AUBURN — Dr. Richard L. Townsend, 71, of Lane Road in Greene, died Friday, Nov. 7, surrounded by his loving family, at the Hospice House of Androscoggin Home Care and Hospice, after a courageous battle with ALS.

He was born in Augusta on Oct. 4, 1943, a son of the late Eben Lee and Helen (Hinds) Townsend. He grew up on the Townsend Farm, which his grandfather built in 1913. He was educated in Winthrop and graduated from University of Maine in Orono, with bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and from the University of Michigan with a Ph.D. in English language and literature.

Richard married Kay Kionka on July 8, 1972, and together they raised three daughters. For 37 years, he was an English teacher at Lewiston High School. He truly loved his job and loved working with the students. While at LHS, he started a creative writing class and a movie criticism class. He also taught summer classes at Lewiston-Auburn College.

Richard was an avid outdoorsman, enjoying hiking, camping, gardening, looking for mushrooms, rock hunting, golfing and being at the ocean. He also did what he could to help the environment. Richard also enjoyed his motorcycle, playing basketball, playing cards, making up games, ice cream, lobsters and poetry.

He leaves his wife of 42 years, Kay, of Greene; his three daughters, Meredith Lee Cohen and husband, Jason, of Austin, Texas, Robin Lin Townsend of Greene and Bronwyn Lydia Townsend and her husband, Tyson Flagg, of Washington, D.C.; two grandchildren, Luciano and Eva Cohen of Austin, Texas; a brother, Linwood Townsend and his wife, Marcia Good Townsend, of Brunswick; and four nieces, Kimberly Byers of Windham, N.H., Tammy Townsend of Thomaston, Leslie Boyer of Thomaston and Jennifer Townsend of Washington, D.C.

He was predeceased by his four aunts, all of whom were near and dear to his heart: Alice Couture, Ruth Townsend, Marion Townsend and Mary Hoch.

You are invited to offer condolences and pay tribute to Richard’s life by visiting his guest book at www.thefortingroupauburn.com.