Richard (Dick) Allen Townsend, 97, of Arlington, Texas passed away August 4, 2026 at his home in Arlington.

Dick was born April 21, 1929 in Auburn, New York to Erle and Lura Townsend. He graduated from Union Springs High School in 1946 and enlisted in the United States Army in September of that year. While an office clerk in the army, he was given a pamphlet about enlisted personnel attending the US Military Academy at West Point. He applied and was accepted, graduating from there in 1953. He chose to become a pilot in the US Air Force and began his flight training in Hondo, Texas and later in Lubbock. From Lubbock the family moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma where Dick completed a master’s degree in mechanical engineering at Oklahoma State University while still in the Air Force. Following that he was stationed in Bedford, Massachusetts and served a 9-month tour in Vietnam. After returning from Vietnam, the family moved to Florida where Dick flew C-130s to obtain telemetry measurements of and provide down range support for NASA Gemini and Apollo missions in the 1960s. Then Dick was assigned to an Air Force military base near Destin, Florida and then to a base in Turkey, after which the family returned to Texas at an Air Force base in Wichita Falls in 1972. Dick retired from the USAF in 1974 at the rank of major after serving for 24 years.

After retirement, Dick went back to school and received an MBA from Midwestern State University. He was then hired as an accountant by Crown, Cork and Seal in Ft. Worth and subsequently in 1982 by the City of Ft. Worth as an accountant rising to Assistant City Controller, a position from which he retired in 1994.

Following retirement, Dick volunteered at the Joint Reserve Base Ft. Worth Library, Grace Presbyterian Church in Arlington where he was a founding member, New Day of Arlington (a non-profit that provides weekend meals for homeless high school students in Arlington), and Meals on Wheels.

Dick will be remembered for his love of planes, cars, tractors and all things mechanical. He lived by the West Point motto “Duty, Honor, Country” and will be missed by his family and those who knew him.

Dick is survived by his wife of 73 years, Joan Townsend, son David Townsend, son Keith Townsend and wife Kathy, daughter Teresa Scarborough and husband Kyle, son Peter Townsend and wife Ellen, daughter Amy Haddox and husband Darin, 13 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.

Dick was preceded in death by his mother Lura Townsend in 1997, father Erle Townsend in 1988 and 7 of his 9 siblings.

A memorial service will be held Monday, August 24 at 10:00 a.m. at Grace Presbyterian Church, 5500 Mansfield Rd, Arlington, Texas. Interment will follow at 1:15 p.m. at the DFW National Cemetery.

The family would like to thank Visiting Angels Cheryl, Eva, Dena, and Jummi and other Visiting Angels for their love and care of their beloved husband and dad. They would also like to thank Wings Over Texas Hospice nurses Emily and Janet and other Wings Over Texas staff for their loving care as well.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to New Day of Arlington, PO Box 171722, Arlington, TX 76003 or Meals on Wheels.