Mary Wheat Townsend

Alvin left Lithia Springs when he was 13 years old, eventually joining the United States Army, while Mary stayed with her family and continued her education. She graduated from Douglas County High School in 1939.

In 1941 Alvin returned, swept Mary off her feet, and they married on the 10th of July. Shortly thereafter Mary moved with Alvin to Fort McClellan in Anniston Alabama, when he was transferred there for World War II. There their son, Randy, was born. Mary and Alvin returned to Atlanta in 1945, where they had two daughters, Elaine and Elisa.

Mary and Alvin were married for 50 glorious years before Alvin's death in 1991, and Mary missed her husband every day thereafter.

Mary Wheat Townsend died 31st of August 2018 at Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center surrounded by family and friends. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Alvin Damascus Townsend; her parents, Samuel John Wheat and Lila Thrasher Wheat; brothers, S.J. Wheat and James Richard Wheat; and sisters, Louise Harper Gordon and Nancy Lee Wheat. She was also the last surviving member of her high school graduating class.

Mary is survived by her children: Alvin Randall Townsend Sr. and wife Janice Tindall Townsend, Elaine Louise Townsend, and Elisa Lilla McClendon and husband Ronald Webb McClendon; grandchildren: Alvin Townsend Jr. and wife Andrea Walter Townsend, Brett Townsend, Benjamin Silverberg and wife Marcia Silverberg, Adam Silverberg and wife Melissa Silverberg, and John Townsend and wife Emily Townsend, Karen Pavao and husband Nelson Pavao, Kristi Lawson and husband Richard Lawson; great-grandchildren Anna Silverberg, Audrey Silverberg, Jeffrey Silverberg, Rex Townsend, Anna Townsend, Kaela Sweeney and husband Bobby Sweeney, Carmen Pavao, Madison Rosenbaum, Turner Rosenbaum, Grant Rosenbaum, and another great-grandson due January 2019; plus countless nieces, nephews, cousins and friends found across the world.

Visitation at 11:00 AM, services at 1:00 PM on Thursday 6 September 2018 at H.M. Patterson & Son-Oglethorpe Hill Chapel, 4550 Peachtree Road NE, Brookhaven, GA 30319. Internment at Rose Hill Cemetery, Austell, GA.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Shiloh Baptist Church in memory of Mary Wheat Townsend, 6181 Elberton Road, PO Box 31, Carlton, GA 30627