John Bunyon (J.B.) Townsend, Jr. answered his final call of duty on January 16th, 2016 -  the duty to his Creator.  He lived a full life in the military, in civil service, in his community,  and the lives of his family.

"J.B." as he was known by all, was born on a farm in the Raft Swamp community outside Lumberton, NC.  His father was a Merchant Marine who was gone to sea for long periods of time.  J.B. Townsend, Sr. had met and married an English girl and brought her from overseas to live in the country.  Their sons, the young J.B. and his brother Bobby,  were forced  to tend the family farm alone as the men of the household.    Growing up during the Depression, they had to grow up fast.  J.B. Townsend Jr. would become the hardest working man you could ever meet.

As a teenager J.B. joined the Marines and was part of the Sixth Marine Division that fought in the Pacific at the Battle of Okinawa.  The majority of his squad were killed in action.   He was wounded in battle but did not receive the Purple Heart until decades later when, unsolicited, a fellow soldier submitted his name for the honor.   During the fighting, which was some of the deadliest of the entire World War II conflict,  J.B. prayed to God not to be spared,  but to receive the strength to do his Duty in combat, to his country, and his fellow soldiers.

The Ideal of Duty was a constant theme of J.B.'s life, as expressed by his service in the Marine Corps and in the writings of his favorite poet Rudyard Kipling.   In the end, all he wanted, was to do his Duty.

After the war, at a country dance,  the Handsome Marine  met a blue eyed brunette country girl from Orrum NC named Sadie Floyd and in 1950 they embarked on an adventure that produced three children and countless memories.

The young man was hired by the US Postal Service as a mail carrier and over time rose to the position of Superintendent of Mails.   He would eventually retire from the Lumberton Post Office after 35 years' Service.  J.B. also retired as a First Sergeant with the NC National Guard with over 30 years of Service.

J.B. was a member of Raft Swamp Baptist Church as a boy and in later life was a member of Barker Ten Mile Baptist Church for many decades.   He was a life long farmer and was   instrumental in the naming of the Pinelog Road which ran past his farm in the Raft Swamp  community.

He was fiercely intelligent,  and a gifted mechanic who could fix anything and relished the challenge of doing so.  He was a private man who committed countless private acts of charity.   He was a loner who charmed others effortlessly.  He had a wonderful booming laugh and was a dedicated father to his three boys.  He was "Only a Dad,  But the Best of Men".

Now Duty reunites with Virtue and the story is complete.    In his wake, his family attests: "You have fought the Good Fight.  You have finished the Course.  You have kept the Faith".  You will be deeply missed.  We will meet again . . . Some Sunny Day.

J.B. was preceded in death by his wife of 45 years, Sadie Townsend; his younger brother William "Bobby" Townsend of Lumberton NC; his mother Alice Haite Townsend and father J.B. Townsend, Sr.; and  his sister Marion Schleicher of Trenton, Michigan.   Survivors left to cherish his memory include his three sons:  Richard Townsend (Pam) of Lumberton NC; Reginald  Townsend (Louvonda) of Arapahoe, NC;   Robin Townsend (Dana) of Garner, NC; a sister,  Gloria Turner of Surfside Beach, SC;   Three grandchildren:  Jackson Blaze Townsend of Savannah, GA; Karen Monroe of Wilmington, NC;  Charles Monroe (Sunshine) of Lumberton NC;  many nieces and nephews; and additional extended family and friends.  And his dogs Midnight and Rusty.

The family would like to thank Woodhaven Nursing Care and Southeastern Hospice Home for their compassionate care of our beloved J.B. in the last year of his life.

A visitation will be held for family and friends on Monday January 18th, 2016 at the Floyd Mortuary on East Fifth Street in Lumberton, NC, from 7pm to 9pm.  A Graveside Ceremony with military honors, will be performed by Pastor Reggie Corfield  at 2pm on Tuesday January 19th 2016 at Meadowbrook Cemetery in Lumberton NC.