Obituary of Barbara (Morse) Townsend

Barbara (Morse) Townsend, 76 years, of Peabody and Friendship, ME, wife of the late James Earl Townsend, died Tuesday evening March 26, 2002 at her home. Mrs. Townsend was born and raised in Claremont, NH, and was the daughter of the late Carleton and Hazel Morse. She was co-adviser, with her late husband Jim, of the South Congregational Church youth group for 20 years and member of the deaconate and Christian Education committee. At the time of her death, Mrs. Townsend was an extremely active member of the First Baptist Church in Beverly. She was instrumental in bringing the Camp Fire Girls to Peabody. Mrs. Townsend had devoted her life to social action issues, marching on three occasions with the Dr. Martin Luther King for racial equality. She was also very active in the anti-nuclear movement in the 1980's, working on many occasions with Dr. Helen Caldicott. In the late 80's she was arrested while protesting in front of the CIA building in Washington and refused to be bailed out by her family. In the 1990's Mrs. Townsend became involved with the Holocaust Center of the North Shore and was honored in 1994 for her commitment to ensuring the horrors of the Holocaust were never forgotten. Mrs. Townsend was one of the last surviving members of the Warren Morse Family of Friendship, ME. She had made the restoration of her family homestead on Morse Island (built in 1835) a longtime dream come true. She enjoyed working in her gardens and providing family history to anyone who wanted to know about Morse Island and its previous inhabitants. She had spent every summer of her life on the island since she was 11. It was on the island that Mrs. Townsend was most content. Mrs. Townsend is survived by 2 daughter; Bonnie Townsend Dinges and her husband, Rev. Richard Dinges of Virginia Beach, VA, and Betsey Townsend Trigilio, with whom she lived with in Peabody. She is also survived by 4 grandchildren; Michael James Trigilio and his wife, Heather, Lori Anne Russell and her husband, Ben, and Charles and Christopher Dings; two great-grandchildren; Declan James Russell and Madeline Giovanna Trigilio; a dear friend, Suzanne Thompson; six nieces and nephews; Gary and Barbie Baird, Betty and David Linatsis, Hal and Linda Ward, Marylee and Walter Thorn, David and Susan Townsend and Kathy and William Hanacik. She was the sister of the late Virginia Ward and aunt of the late William Ward. Her funeral service will be held Saturday , April 6, at 2:00 P.M. at the First Baptist Church , Cabot St., Beverly. Visiting hours will be held at Mrs. Townsend's late residence, 55 Proctor Circle, Peabody, MA on Thursday April 4, and Friday April 5, from 6-8 P.M. The family requests in lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Friendship Ambulance Society, a volunteer service serving Friendship, ME (Friendship Ambulance Society, c/o Merle Beal, Friendship, ME 04547) Arrangements by the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, Peabody.