Donald "Don" Townsend

Donald “Don” Townsend, age 81, passed away on September 13, 2022, at his home in Mesa, Arizona surrounded by his family. A celebration of life will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, October 14th preceded by a family visitation from 5:00 to 8:00 PM on Thursday, October 13th at the Altoona Christian Church.

Don was born on May 25, 1941, to Andrew & Arline Townsend in Des Moines, Iowa. He grew up in Altoona, Iowa where he married his high school sweetheart, Darlene Tuinstra, on Aug 11, 1962. They had two children, Jeff & Jill, and were married 60 years at the time of his passing.

Don attended Altoona High School and graduated from the Iowa State University College of Engineering. He was a 60-year member of both the Za-Ga-Zig Shrine and Lions Club of Altoona alongside his grandfather and father who together introduced the Spin Art Paint Booth for fund raising which remains active today at the Iowa State Fair hosted by the Lions Club. Don was known for his witty sense of humor which served him well as a Master of Ceremonies for a variety of charitable events along with entertaining children with his magic including his very own flea circus. He enjoyed restoring old equipment & cars with his father, raising sheep, fishing, barbequing, flying Piper airplanes & his lifetime of companions including cats, dogs, an alligator, and Capuchin monkey.

Don is survived by his wife, Darlene, two children, Jeff (Anne) Townsend and Jill (Kirk) Vespestad, and four grandsons who he adored; Andrew (Allyssa) Townsend, Blane Townsend, Alex Vespestad & Mitch Vespestad along with two great grandchildren, Talia and Lincoln Townsend. Don will also be missed by Malibu, a beloved fury friend who was always by his side.

Don was preceded in death by his parents Andrew & Arline Townsend, and sister Donna (Don) Streeter.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Don Townsend Memorial for an on-going scholarship fund for students pursuing a degree with the College of Engineering at Iowa State University where Don served on the Board of Technology & Industry.

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