Ira Peabody Townsend

Lebanon, N.H. — Ira Peabody Townsend, 96, died peacefully on Monday, Sept. 26, 2016. The son of Phillip and Maybelle Townsend, he attended Lebanon, HS, did a postgraduate year at Kimball Union Academy and graduated from Middlebury College in three years, to enlist in the U.S. Navy in 1941. He was a pilot and aviation instrument instructor. He married Sara Martenis in 1943. They lived in Meriden until moving to Harvest Hill in 2010.

After the war, Ira taught math, coached skiing and was the business and property manager at KUA until retiring in 1985. He was a trustee of KUA and Alice Peck Day Hospital, president of Mascoma Savings Bank, and a long-time volunteer in the Meriden Fire Department.

Ira loved the outdoors, skiing, camping, cutting hiking and ski trails, gardening, splitting wood, and especially flying. In his 80’s, Ira and his daughter Patricia built an ultra-light airplane and flew it all over the Upper Valley, taking off from the runway he had built behind his home when he was flying their Cessna.

He was loved and admired for his strong moral character, self reliance, generosity towards his community and creative approach to new challenges. He is survived by his wife of 73 years, Sara; his daughter, Patricia; his son and daughter-in-law, James and Sandra; and his grandchildren, Julia and Torrey, and Torrey’s wife Laura.

Visit www.csnh.com to read more about Ira and to share memories.