Harry King Townsley

Harry King Townsley, 91, entered into eternal rest on the 20th day of August, 2011 in Charleston, WV. He was born on September 4, 1919 in Washington Court House, OH. He came to Charleston on June 16, 1941 after graduating from Denison University with an AB in Chemistry and continued with Chemical Engineering in an Adult Education course at Morris Harvey. At Denison he was a member of Phi Mu Alpha musical honorary fraternity and Manager of the Mens Glee Club. Preceding him in death was his wife, Juanita Miller Townsley. Had she survived for eleven more days they would have been married 60 years. Also preceding him in death was a sister Mary Jane McIntosh of Port Charlotte, FL. Survivors are son, Harry M. Tee and his wife, Carolyn of Springfield, VA; daughter, Alice Barkus, and her husband, Neal of Shepherdstown, WV; and Corinne Crandall, and her husband, Roy of Park City, UT; five grandchildren; four great grandchildren; sister Alice Strong of Tellico Plains, TN; and his special friend, Dorothy King of Charleston, WV. Harry retired from Union Carbide after 43 years of service in Vinylite, Dynel and UNIPOL areas. He was a member of the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, ACS and ASTM. Upon retirement he cared for the trees, ferns and other greenery in the corridors, rotunda, stairwells and library at Morris Harvey College, now the University of Charleston. He served 17 years as a volunteer in the school greenhouse. Harry was a faithful member of Charleston Baptist Temple since November 1941 and served on many administrative committees. He was Scoutmaster of Troup 31 from Cub Scouts to Eagle and earned the Order of the Arrow, Brotherhood level, and the Scouters Key. Harry was a 50-year member of Charleston Lodge No. 153 AM & FM; a member of the Scottish Rite York Rite, Kanawha Commandery No. 4 and Beni Kedem Temple. He insisted that the angels in Heaven play violins instead of harps. He was proud of the fact that he had attended concerts of famed violinists Kreisler, Menuhin, Szigetti, Morini, Elman, Zimbalist, Spaulding and more recent talented artists. He played the violin in orchestras in high school, the All State (OH) Orchestra, the Denison University Orchestra and in the early Charleston Municipal Orchestra. A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 am. on Thursday the 25th of August, 2011 at the Charleston Baptist Temple at the corners of Quarrier and Morris Streets. The service will be led by Dr. Dennis L. Johnson with interment and reception following the service. The family will welcome visitors in the Charleston Baptist Temple parlor, Wednesday evening from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.