Anthony Maxtone Greenough Townsend

Anthony Maxtone Greenough Townsend of Highlands Ranch, Colorado passed away peacefully on August 23, 2025. Known affectionately as Antone to his family and Tony to his friends, he was born in Mineola, New York and raised in New York City.

Tony's early education began at St. Bernard’s School in New York City, and he graduated from St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire in 1945. He earned his AB from Harvard College in 1952, followed by an MBA in 1959 as part of the third graduating class of the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. After his first year at Harvard, he put his education on hold to join the U.S. Navy and Naval Reserve, where he served with distinction as an electronics technician.

His professional journey started at Kearfott Engineering in New York City and continued with more than three decades of service at Western Electric, where he excelled as a field engineer before transitioning into management. A highlight of his career was an overseas assignment with the Sixth Fleet, during which he visited cities such as Istanbul, Naples, and Marseille. He concluded his professional life working for the State of Maryland, from which he retired.

Tony met the love of his life, Nancy Krug, in Baltimore at a singles group hosted by the Church of the Redeemer. It was on their first date that Nancy knew they would marry. The couple wed in 1968 and shared a fulfilling marriage until Nancy’s passing in 2006. They raised one daughter, Maggie.

Tony cherished bike riding, trains, reading, old movies, traveling, and family time. After Nancy passed away, he relocated to Colorado in 2006 to be near Maggie in Highlands Ranch. In retirement, he became an active volunteer, notably at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Visitors Center, and he also contributed to the temporary restoration and installation of an organ at St. John’s Cathedral in Denver.

Tony was known for his storytelling, his love of classical music and the symphony, and his passion for lifelong learning. Game nights, rides through the mountains, and travel with family and friends filled his later years. His summers as a child were spent at his grandparents’ estate, Cultoquhey, in Scotland—its memories beginning with a ten day ship voyage from New York and embedding life long impressions. He recalled being in the reading room at Cultoquhey when Neville Chamberlain announced the start of WWII. Youthful summers in Rhode Island and Cape Cod saw him frequently biking from Bass River to Provincetown. In his thirties, he earned his pilot’s license, further indulging his zeal for exploration. Tony’s first memory—a visit to see his newborn brother David in the hospital—reflected the remarkable memory that became one of his defining qualities.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Nancy Krug Townsend (2006); his brother, David Graeme Townsend (2024); his parents Rachel and Greenough Townsend; and his mother-in-law, Mary Jo Shipley Krug. Tony is survived by his daughter, Maggie Townsend of Highlands Ranch, Colorado; nieces Renee Kobey (Rob Dahlager) of Denver, Sheila Townsend (Mark Nimlos) of Golden, and Lila Townsend of Portland, Maine; nephew Kevin Kobey of Denver; and great-nieces Claire (Peter) Nimlos and Danika Nimlos and his canine companion, Blanca.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to a meaningful cause—you might choose the ACLU, a charity Tony especially supported. And if you’d like to celebrate his spirit, raise a glass of bourbon, play some classical music, and spend a warm summer evening under the stars.