Reta Townshend - Obituary

n Saturday, April 11, 2015, Reta H. Townshend, 93, of Annapolis went home to be with her heavenly Father following a five month battle with an inoperable brain tumor. Reta was born in the rural “Dutch Corner” area of Bedford, PA and in order to attend high school, worked as a child care provider, housekeeper and cook for the Bedford High School principal and his wife. She was raised on a farm and hard work was a part of her regimen from an early age. Reta had a distinguished career in nursing, earning her R.N. degree at South Baltimore General Hospital. She served on the surgical unit for many years at Prince George’s Hospital in Cheverly, and later worked for more than two decades in family medicine with the late Dr. A. Clark Holmes. Mrs. Townshend was an avid cook, baker, needle worker and walker. Hospitality was her gift and she loved having friends and family to her home. She was active for many years in Mt. Oak Methodist Church until she moved to Heritage Harbour and began attending Riva Trace Baptist Church. More recently she attended the First Baptist of Church of Crofton. Mrs. Townshend is survived by her former husband, Harry W. “Jack” Townshend; three children, Karen T. Ward (Dick) of Pasadena; H. Walter Townshend, III (Cheryl) of Mitchellville and Sally T. Grimm (David), of Annapolis; four grandsons, Daniel (Emily) and Patrick Grimm, Chase and Wesley Andrew Townshend (Sarah); four great grandchildren, Amelia, Gates and Henry Grimm and Knox Townshend; nieces, Jody Long and Jennifer Zembower and nephew William Zembower. Reta was preceded in death by her siblings, Ross Holderbaum, Bessie Pencil, Aldine Diehl, Pauline Smith and Marie Zembower. A memorial service will be held at 11 AM on Friday, April, 17, 2015 at the First Baptist Church of Crofton, 1690 Crofton Pkwy., Crofton, MD 21114, followed immediately by a time of gathering and remembrance. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made to Hospice of the Chesapeake, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena, MD 21122. An online guestbook is available by clicking the tab on this page.