Clyde A. Townsend, former Wyandotte County commissioner and former member of the Kansas City Kansas Community College Board of Trustees, died Tuesday, Nov. 7.
Townsend 90, was a long-time public servant in Wyandotte County. He was a member of the Kansas City Kansas Community College Board of Trustees from 2005 until earlier this year. He also is a past Board of Public Utilities member.
Townsend also formerly worked for the Kansas City, Kansas, Street Department.
Born in DeSoto, Missouri, Townsend served in the U.S. Army as a sergeant first class during the Korean War.
He worked at the Swift Meat Packing Co. in Kansas City, Kansas, during the 1950s.
He was appointed Street Department superintendent in 1961, where he worked for 11 years. He also was employed by The Leader Clothing Store in Kansas City, Kansas.
From 1972 to 1974 he was assistant director of the Licensing Department of Kansas City, Kansas, then he worked at the Wyandotte County Courthouse from 1975 to 1978. He also ran for the Board of Public Utilities.
Townsend was appointed a Wyandotte County commissioner in 1979, after the death of Jim Davis, and served until 1989.
He was a member of the First A.M.E. Church, where he served with the mass choir, usher board, steward board and finance committee.
Townsend also served as a Kansas City, Kansas, Housing Authority commissioner; past president and past lieutenant governor of the Optimist Club; past president and treasurer of the Economic Opportunity Foundation; president of the Friends of Yates Branch; past president of Cancer Action board; member of the state and local executive board of the NAACP; Sunflower Golf Advisory Board; Wyandotte County Foundation Park Board; United Way; Tremont Redevelopment Corp.; and Red Cross.
Survivors include Dewylene Story, longtime companion; her daughters, Sharon D. Taylor; Lisa R. Douglas; one sister, Carol Townson Shores; grandchildren, Courtney, Shawndra, Gerell and Kyla; two special sons, UN Mathis and Tyrone Fulks; and cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Funeral arrangements are through Thatcher’s Funeral Home, 1520 N. 5th St., Kansas City, Kansas. Townsend was the assistant funeral director for Thatcher’s.
Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 13, with community tributes from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Thatcher’s Funeral Home. Visitation also will be held from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14, at First AME Church, 1111 N. 8th St., Kansas City, Kansas.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14, at the First AME Church, 1111 N. 8th St., Kansas City, Kansas.
You will be missed, Clyde! My condolences to the family of Clyde. There are not enough words to describe how special Clyde was nor how he impacted so many lives, mine being one of them!
Sending my family’s love.