Obituary for Carolyn Townes Carolyn Jane Hunter Townes passed away on Friday, May 4, 2018. Carolyn is survived by her husband of fifty-eight years, Dr. Charles Dwight Townes and two children, daughter Jane Townes Landwehr and son Charles Hunter Townes (Sarah Smalley Townes) and five grandchildren Alison Jane and Amanda Malyn Landwehr and Jackson Carter, Elizabeth Grace and Emerson Walker Townes. Carolyn is preceded in death by her beloved son-in-law Rob Roy Landwehr of St Paul, Minnesota, and parents Roy and Naomi Hunter of Terre Haute, Indiana.
Carolyn attended Indiana University, and was proud of her Hoosier roots. After college graduation, Carolyn had a short career in retail, working at L. S. Ayers department store in Indianapolis, Indiana, and later becoming an elementary education teacher in West Lafayette. Carolyn met Charles “Dwight” Townes during a chance encounter at a gas station outside of Boulder, Colorado and after only a few dates knew “he was the one”.
Carolyn and Dwight were married in Lafayette, Indiana at St. Paul’s Church on November 1, 1959 and had many adventures together during their fifty-eight years of marriage. After a move to Perry, Kansas for Dwight’s first medical practice, Carolyn and Dwight were relocated to Bad Kreuznach, Germany for two years with the military. Carolyn and Dwight finally found their permanent home in Golden Valley, Minnesota, and until last year, had one cherished residence for fifty-three years, filled with love, laughter and many happy memories.
Carolyn’s favorite hobbies included stain glass design, horse back riding, golf and tennis. She was delighted to find that Minneapolis/St Paul provided her with plenty of opportunities to enjoy all four. Carolyn had a thirst for knowledge, loved books/reading, experiencing new cultures, and travel.
Throughout her lifetime she visited many countries on four continents, some more than once! Carolyn sought every opportunity to experience arts, music and theater and appreciated the cultural scene in Minneapolis/St. Paul. She was always able to provide a review of the latest performance and information about specific actors or artists in the spotlight.
Carolyn often enjoyed the Guthrie Theater, Orchestra Hall, St. Paul Chamber, MIA, The Walker Art Center and Chanhassen Dinner Theater, among others. Carolyn learned to play the piano at an early age and spent many hours entertaining others, including playing musical chairs with her five grandchildren on her beautiful Steinway grand piano. She perfected her skill by playing in a piano group throughout her adult life, and most recently duets with a good friend at Park Shore in St Louis Park.
An avid story-teller, Carolyn knew no stranger, and could captivate an audience anywhere with her stories of her Indiana childhood and amazing life. She will be missed by everyone whose lives she touched during her eighty-seven well-lived years. A Celebration of Life will be held in Carolyn Townes’ honor on Friday, May 11, 2018 at 1:00pm at Washburn-McReavy Edina, 5000 50th Street, Edina, MN 55436.
If you found any mistakes, or you would like to add/remove to this obituary, please contact us by email: info@obituary.memorial. We never ask money for this.
