Carolyn R. Townsend, RN

Born and grew up in Riverside, California. Enjoyed Girl Scouting and traveled with the regional troop to the 1956 first National Girl Scout Round-up in Michigan. Earned a B.S. in Nursing from UCLA. First public health nursing job was with the Los Angeles County Health Department. Earned an MPH in Public Health Nursing from UNC-CH School of Public Health.

Moved to Durham, North Carolina in 1964. Worked in patient care at Duke University Medical Center, then in public health with Operation Breakthrough antipoverty program. Continued in public health nursing with the District Health Department-Caswell, Chatham, Lee, Orange, and Person Counties. Later served as a regional nurse consultant and Program Coordinator with the Division of Public Health until retirement in 2006.

Religious Life: Grew up in the Congregational Church, confirmed Episcopalian in 1989 at St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church, Durham, N.C. Transferred to St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in Pittsboro. Active member of Episcopal Church Women, serving as President of the St. Bartholomew’s ECW. Participates as a Lay Eucharistic Minister, Altar Guild, Lector and clerk to the vestry. Received into the Mary and Martha Chapter of The Order Daughters of the King in January of this year.

Active volunteer in the community serving as an ombudsman with the Chatham County Community Advisory Committee for Adult Care Homes and Assisted Living, Circles Chatham, and the St. Bartholomew’s Care Team.

Awards and honors: Recipient of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine the state’s highest civilian honor for meritorious service. Recipient of the first Carolyn R. Townsend Rail-Trail volunteer award after having served 19 years as volunteer administrator and chair of the North Carolina Rail-Trails board of directors.

Married and mother of two daughters and grandmother of one granddaughter.