Charley Townsend

Charley Eugene Townsend passed away at home Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2007. Charley, son of E.A. and Nelle E. Halsey Townsend, was born July 2, 1929, on the family farm in Decatur County, Kan. After attending school in a one-room schoolhouse, he graduated from Decatur Community High School, Oberlin, Kan., in 1946. Charley then attended and graduated from Kansas State University with a B.S. degree in Agronomy 1950 and an M.S. degree in Plant Pathology and Plant Genetics 1951. After completion of his degrees at Kansas State, he served in the U.S. Army as an assistant biologist at Camp Dietreich, Frederick, Md. In September 1954, he returned to the University of Wisconsin at Madison and acquired his Ph.D. in Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics. In 1956, he accepted a position as a plant geneticist with Agricultural Research, USDA, a cooperative program involved with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the College of Agriculture at Colorado State University. Charley spent his entire career with the USDA and retired in 1994. Charley is survived by Hilda, his wife of 49 years; a daughter, Cindy Townsend Sakala and son-in-law Criss Sakala of Fort Collins; two grandsons, Kellen Sakala of Nashville, Tenn., and Holden Sakala of Fort Collins. He is also survived by a sister, Alda Rick of Austin, Texas. He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Tom Townsend; and sister Aneta Hageman. Charley's family would like to extend a special thank you to the Poudre Valley Hospital Oncology Department and Infusion Center for their wonderful care, support and friendship. Memorial contributions may be made in Charley's name to Hospice of Larimer County or PSD Early Childhood Programs Barton ECC in care of Bohlender Funeral Chapel.