Richard Taylor Townsend

Richard Taylor Townsend, Esq. passed away on November 5, 2011 after a brief illness.
Services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, November 7, 2011 at the Laurens First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Alice MacKeil officiating. Graveside services will follow at Laurens City Cemetery. Richard’s Lakeside Country Club “golf group” will serve as honorary pallbearers.
A lifelong resident of Laurens, SC, Richard was born September 24, 1940, the son of Virginia Taylor and Thomas Pinckney Townsend, Sr. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Louise Townsend Taylor, and brother Thomas Pinckney Townsend, Jr.
Richard attended Laurens County public schools and graduated with a B.S. degree from Clemson College in 1962.
Richard earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of South Carolina in 1965. He began practicing law in Laurens upon graduation. In 1971, he was joined by his current law partner and friend Thomas J. Thompson, Esq.
Richard served his profession as Laurens County Public Defender (1969-1981); Special Prosecutor of the 8th Judicial Circuit (1981-1993); City Attorney, City of Laurens (1993). He was a member of the Laurens County Bar Association (President, 1969-1970) and the South Carolina Bar Association (Judicial Qualification Committee, 1999-2000).
Richard also served his community through the boards of Laurens County Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, Laurens First, and Laurens County Development Board. He served on the State Development Board (1973-1979). He served on both the State and local Democratic Executive Committees and was a delegate to two National Democratic Party Conventions. He was a faithful member of the Laurens First United Methodist Church (Foundation and Trustee Chair).
His pleasures and activities were many: attending Clemson football games (IPTAY representative, County chair), playing golf, tinkering with his tractor and tools, tending his farm, hunting, playing bridge and poker, attending high school and college fraternity(SAZ) reunions.
Richard valued family above all else. He especially enjoyed spending time with them at his beloved Towns End on Pawleys Island, SC. There he was a member of the Pawleys Island Civic Association and was a member and past Commodore of the Pawleys Island Yacht Club.
Richard is survived by his wife of thirty years, Mary Lemon Townsend; children James C. Owens, Jr. (Karen), Allison Townsend Reaves (Mark), Kathryn Craven Owens Johnson, Ashley Townsend Edmunds (Blake), Ashley Calhoun Owens, and Mandy Townsend Coble (Joey); and grandchildren Kathryn Anne Johnson, James C. Owens, III, Virginia Gray Edmunds, Reid Hamilton Johnson, William Thompson Owens, Mary Rembert Edmunds, Caroline Taylor Coble, Blake Edmunds, IV, and Charles Joseph Coble, III; brothers-in-law Albert Q. Taylor and Clinton C. Lemon (Brenda); sisters-in-law Randolf Sparkman Townsend and Kathryn Lemon Clark (Robert M., Sr.); many nieces and nephews.
The family will receive friends at the home on Sunday, November 6 after 4 p.m.
Gray Funeral Home is in charge.