Jimmy Douglas Townsend passed away from natural causes on February 9, 2025, after many years of relatively poor health. He departed from Jackson, close to the place he arrived – Paris, Tennessee, after having lived and traveled all over the United States. He was born in Paris on February 3, 1938, to Johnie and Treva (White) Townsend. His grandparents were Homer and Minnie (Malone) Townsend of Paris, and J. B. and Opal Estelle (Haddock) White of McKenzie. Estelle married Oscar Reynolds of McKenzie after she became a widow.
Jimmy is preceded in death by his wife, Marg Townsend, and is survived by his son from a previous marriage, Joel (Patricia) of Piperton, TN. He is survived by two Grandsons, Stephen (Kayla) of Germantown, TN, and John (Katherine) of Collierville, TN. He had seven great-grandchildren. Jimmy’s Great-grandchildren from Stephen are Samuel, Emmaline, and Hannah. His Great-grandchildren from John are Patrick, John “Jack”, William, and Andrew. He became very close to Wanda Pinkston of Paris and her family, as she was his caregiver for several years.
Jimmy loved the theater and always loved to act. He taught at Messick and Trezvent High Schools in Memphis and directed some drama productions there. Along the way, he performed in productions at Memphis State University and directed at Memphis Little Theater. He had a short-lived political involvement in Shelby County, but eventually ended up in sales, selling everything from men’s suits at the old “Sears Crosstown” in Memphis to point-of-sale equipment and ATM machines through a company in Maryland.
Funeral arrangements have been made through McEvoy Funeral Home in Paris, TN. Jimmy’s funeral service will be graveside in Maplewood Cemetery at 12:00 p.m. on Monday, February 24, 2025. He will be interred next to his parents in Maplewood Cemetery.