David L Townsend

David L. Townsend, age 72, of Sherman, SD passed away after a brief battle with cancer, Sunday, December 18, 2022, at Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, SD.

Announcement: Due to the upcoming weather, the Celebration of Life date has been changed to the following :

A come and go celebration of life will take place on Monday, December 26 , 2022, from 4:00 to 6:30 PM at the Minnehaha Funeral Home in Garretson, SD.

Burial will take place at a later date at the Spring Valley Cemetery rural Viborg, SD.

In lieu of flowers, memorials will be directed at a later date.

David Townsend was born December 27, 1949, to Lester and Betty (Wells) Townsend.  He graduated from Canistota High School. After graduation, he entered the military and served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam war. He was proud of the fact that while on active duty he took part in secret operations which aided vital communications. He continued his military career and retired from the National Guard in 1990. In 1970 he was united in marriage to Phyllis Acheson.  To this union were born three children, Todd, Melissa, and Ryan.  During this time David earned his degree from USD Springfield.

In 1984 David found the love of his life, Brenda Christensen.  The couple became the proud parents of a baby girl they named Laura.  David worked for over 30 years for Luverne Fire Apparatus in Brandon, SD. He was a jack of all trades and very mechanically inclined.  He was also known as a bit of a MacGyver. It seemed that he could fix anything with very little to work with.

David loved the outdoors.  In his younger years he was an avid hunter and fisherman. A milestone in David’s life was when he became a South Dakota Proud Angler by landing a huge walleye.  He also had a fascination for watching the stock market.  David had a special place in his heart for his cat Charlee.  But mostly, David loved his family and friends. He loved nothing more that spending time with those closest to him over a beer. This past Sunday, after a short battle with cancer, David died at the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls.  He will be greatly missed.

He is survived by his children, Todd (Brenda) Townsend Canistota, SD, Melissa (Joe) Wager of Sioux Falls, SD, Ryan (Amy) Townsend of Madison, SD, and Laura (Bobby) Townsend of Freeman, SD; grandchildren, Andrew Townsend, Aaron (Peyton) Townsend, Madison and Ava Townsend, Brantley and Braxton Pickett; step grandchildren, Tim (Trish) Tigert, Tessa and Trevor Tigert, Jake (Kaitlin) McInerney, John (Kate) McInerney, Zowie Monday and Dameon Pickett; great grandchildren, Beckett and Bosten Townsend, James Tigert, Charlie McInerney; sisters, Diana Westphal and Jackie (Irvin) Mohr; brothers, Jim Townsend and Kerry Townsend.

David was preceded in death by his parents, Lester and Betty Townsend; wife, Brenda Christensen; sister, Wendy Wieman.