Harold Townley Pounders, Jr., died on December 4, 2022, in Granada, Nicaragua. The funeral was at Our Lady of Candelaria Catholic Church. A Celebration of Life was on March 18, 2023, in Florence, Alabama. He was the son of the late Harold Townley Pounders, Sr., and the late Shirley Costena Penney Pounders.
Townley graduated from Coffee High School in 1958. He attended the University of Alabama, where he was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity. He studied aviation at Emery Riddle Aeronautics University and began his career as an Airline Pilot with Braniff International Airlines.
At Braniff, he became a Captain on international routes, including South America, Europe and the Far East. He was later a Captain with Piedmont Airlines and US Air.
Townley had a magnetic personality which led to many lifelong friendships across the Globe. He led a colorful life with many adventures. Townley loved a good story and there was no better storyteller. He enjoyed travel with his family and friends. In addition to flying, his boat, was a source of joy and plied the waterways from the Tennessee River to the Intercostal in Florida and the Bahamas.
Townley liked a good pub, a game of darts, a cold beer, a homemade fried bologna sandwich, golf, tennis, rode a motorcycle for bit, and enjoyed flying the Mooney (957MA) that he shared with his brother. He was always the first to find the next great place before everyone else and would enthusiastically introduce his family and friends to Grand Cayman, Hope Town, Bahamas; Key Islamorada, Vail, Colorado (early 70’s in his famous converted milk van) were a few of the good ones.
Townley enjoyed traveling with his family and introducing his children to many new experiences and cultures. Townley enjoyed attending spring break trips with his son and friends. A couple of his favorite spots were, the Keys, and Destin, Florida on his boat, The Out & About.
Townley was an early riser who loved to catch up on current events with a pot of coffee and a couple newspapers each day, followed by phone calls to friends and family for the daily or weekly check in. A true Pounders, He enjoyed a daily nap throughout his life. Townley had a generous spirit and was always there when someone needed a helping hand.
He spent his last years of retirement in Costa Rica and Nicaragua where he met his wife and her family and many new friends. In his time there, he fell in love with the people, culture and way of life. He became a popular personality with the locals and enjoyed meeting many interesting, colorful characters along the way.
Townley’s last days were filled with siestas and love from his
Nicaraguan family.
He was preceded in death by his siblings, Shirley Patricia Pounders and Donald Ray Pounders. Townley is survived by sons: Harold Townley Pounders III (Lynne), Atlanta, Georgia; Roman Mobley Pounders, Charlotte, North Carolina; daughter: Ella-Grace Mobley, Charlotte, North Carolina, sister: Margaret “Peggy” Jean Pounders Megar (James), Florence, Alabama; sister-in-law: Wendy Ruth Le Beau, Palm Coast, Florida; Grandchildren: Katherine Anne Pounders, Nashville, Tennessee and Ross Townley Pounders, Atlanta, Georgia; niece: Katherine Ann Megar Wright (Jonathan), Florence, Alabama; a nephew: Matthew Roberts Megar, Las Vegas, Nevada and first cousins: Penney Long Roberts, Florence, Al.; Mitzi Long Cerjan, Portland, Maine, and John Pomfret Long, Lynchburg, Tennessee, and dear friends, Dan and Debra Parker, Tampa, Florida. Townley is also survived by his Nicaraguan family, wife, Heylly Candelaria, Grenada, Nicaragua and family.
