Elizabeth Tidwell Townsend, 86, passed away peacefully Monday, November 9, 2020. Liz was born April 16, 1934 in Loretto, TN – Lawrence County. Then her family moved to Lauderdale County, AL and settled in Killen AL. In 1953, Liz moved to Huntsville and worked at Redstone Arsenal for the Internal Audit Office starting in the secretarial field. She was promoted to various positions during her career with the Government. In December 1994, she retired as an Intelligence Analyst for Strategic Defense Command (SDC). Her community involvement included the Huntsville Women’s Club focusing on fundraising for Meals on Wheels. She also volunteered and supported, with her husband, the Military Order of World Wars (MOWW).
Liz was preceded in death by her husband, LTC Lincoln H. Townsend; father, Walter Danley Tidwell; mother, Grace Ellen Moore Tidwell; and brothers and sisters. Kenneth ‘Mack’ Tidwell, Myra Katherine ‘Kathy’ Tidwell McDonel, Martha Ellen Tidwell Jones, and Walter Neal ‘Buck’ Tidwell.
She is survived by a loving family, daughters, Elizabeth ‘Beth’ Townsend Mitchel and husband, Michael D. Mitchel, of Toney, and Mary Lou Townsend Russler of Huntsville; grandchildren, Emilia Grace ‘Emmie’ Russler of Huntsville, Stuart R. Russler and wife, Sydney Creekmore Russler, of Dunwoody, GA, Jennifer Mitchel and husband, Scott Ratterre, of New Orleans, Michael David Mitchel and wife, Cindy Mitchel, of Metairie, LA, Stephanie Mitchel Brown and husband, Shawn Brown, of Nashville; and great-grandchildren, Dalton Haydel, Gracelyn Haydel, Hannah Brown and Gabriel Brown.
During the last four years of life her caregivers, Linda Lind, Florine Abernathy, Evelyn Nyangi, Betty Johnson, and Venite Michel, known as “Liz’s Angels”, became members of the family whom we want to thank for their compassion, love and friendship.
The funeral service will be at 2pm on Saturday, November 14, 2020, at Laughlin Service Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Maple Hill Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or to a charity of your choice in memory of Liz.
