Virginia Townsend
Oct. 22, 1919-Dec. 30, 2015
Palo Alto, California
Longtime Los Altos and Palo Alto resident Virginia Anderson "Andy" Townsend passed away at the age of 96 in San Rafael, California, on Dec. 30, 2015, after a long, active and healthy life.
She was born on Oct. 22, 1919, in Wheeling, West Virginia, to Alfred Oscar Anderson and Gena Berger Anderson. Virginia was proud of her 100 percent Norwegian heritage, which she was able to trace back through seven generations to 1792. Lutefisk and lefse at Christmas were traditions she passed down to her children and grandchildren over the years.
Virginia met the love of her life, John Robert Townsend Jr., while they were students at The University of Kansas (KU). They were married after graduation in 1941 as World War II was breaking out. They had four children and were married for 36 years until Jack's passing in 1977. Golf, river rafting, camping, scouting, lawn bowling, international travel and cooking were passions they shared. Virginia continued to explore the world independently and with great enthusiasm on her own for many years after Jack's demise.
Virginia was a proud member and alumna supporter of the Pi Beta Phi sorority at KU and an active KU alumna. Golf was her lifelong sport and she excelled at it, becoming club champion at Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club in Menlo Park, California. Virginia was the president of the Menlo-Atherton Newcomers Club in the early 1960s, as well as being an active member of The Stanford Committee for Art, helping scout and organize museum and private collection viewings for the committee trips. She and Jack were devoted members of Christ Episcopal Church in Los Altos, California, and in later years Virginia was a parishioner at All Saints Episcopal Church in Palo Alto, California.
Virginia is preceded in death by her husband, Jack Townsend, and their son, John Robert Townsend III. She is survived by her three daughters: Pamela Fowler (Frank) of Rough and Ready, California, Kristy Zive (Phil) of Sparks, Nevada, and Susan Schow (Roger) of Mill Valley, California. She is also survived by her seven grandchildren: John Fowler and Brendan Fowler; Hannah Zive Serrano and Kyle Zive; Sam Schow, Jack Schow and Amanda Schow; as well as nine great-grandchildren: Will, Nate and Lila Fowler; Wyatt, Tessa and Zoey Fowler; and Landon, Elizabeth and Sophia Serrano. Virginia's family was the center of her life, and she will be warmly remembered but greatly missed.
The family wishes to express our gratitude to the compassionate and kind Memory Care Professionals of Tender Rose Home Care Agency, who were of inestimable help to our family in the last months of Mom's life. We would also like to express our gratitude to Hospice By The Bay, who helped us all through to the end of Virginia's days.
There will be a private interment at Alta Mesa Memorial Park in Palo Alto at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016.
In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be sent in Virginia’s name to Hospice By The Bay, 17 E. Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Larkspur, CA 94939
