Robert G. Townsend (Bob), age 92, of Pierre, SD passed away January 17, 2022. Funeral services will be held at 2:00pm, Friday, January 21st, at Feigum Funeral Home, 808 W. Pleasant Dr., Pierre SD. Interment will follow at Riverside Cemetery in Pierre. Bob’s service will also be available online for those who would prefer not to gather in a large group.

Bob was born in Great Neck, Long Island, New York on February 22, 1929 to Lloyd and Delo Townsend, just after the family moved there from Aberdeen SD. Both his parents were teachers.

He graduated from Great Neck High School in June of 1947. Following his graduation, he took a job in a cabinet shop but quit after realizing there was no future due to Union control. That next summer, he and his father took a trip to the Dakotas and Oregon to attend a family reunion. Upon returning he asked if he could go back to work for his uncle Howard on the family farm at Langford SD. Unfortunately, Howard didn’t need help so his parents then offered to pay for his college if he wanted to attend Northern State college. It was there that he met his future wife, Ardis, who was working in Aberdeen to earn money so she could return to college in Huron. When Ardis returned to Huron, Bob transferred to Huron college. They were married August 15, 1951. After graduation, both took teaching jobs at Hecla SD.

When the Korean war began, Bob was drafted and served in the army for two years. Ardis returned to Mitchell to live with her parents because she was expecting their first child, Robert Dean, born February 04, 1955. After his discharge, he moved the family to Aberdeen and earned his Masters Degree in Administration at Northern. While in Aberdeen their second son, Ronald Paul was born March 14, 1957.

Next, they moved to Bristol SD where he was the school principal and taught driver’s education, biology, auto shop and other subjects. During his 7 years there, the school received the “outstanding small school in the nation” award two times and was the first school in the nation recognized for its driver’s education program.
In 1964 the family moved to Highmore where again Bob was the principal of the high school and oversaw the driver’s education program and school library.

In 1966 Bob accepted a job as consultant to the state Department of Public Instruction to help implement a statewide federally funded library program. He went full time with the Department in May of that year and moved his family to Pierre. After this program was implemented, he accepted a job at Pierre High School as the school librarian and taught driver’s education.

Following a long and exemplary career in education, Bob retired from Riggs High School in 1992. After retirement, he volunteered at the First United Methodist Church library and the State of South Dakota Cultural Resource Center working with genealogy. He spent countless hours researching the Townsend family tree and joked that he could trace the family history back to Adam. He also cherished time spent with grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Grateful for having shared Bob’s life are his son Robert D. (Kristin) Townsend, son Ronald (Deb) Townsend; grandchildren, Miranda Townsend, Peter (Serena) Townsend, Nikki Townsend, Brad Townsend, Melissa Townsend, Brittney Townsend; great-grandchildren Trigg, Trailyn, Vivian, Trinitie, Kaleb, Conner, Lex and Dominic. Bob was preceded in death by his mother Delo, his father Lloyd, and wife, Ardis.

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