| Graduation Year | Class of 1970 |
| Date of Birth | Apr 08, 1952 |
| Date of Passing | Oct 24, 2021 |
| About | It is with great sadness that the family of Caryl Evelyn Townsend (nee Bullis) of Vincent, Ala. announce her passing on Sunday, October 24, 2021 at the age of 69. She had been ill for a few months and died of cardiac arrest at Ascension St. Vincent’s Hospital in Birmingham, Ala. Caryl was the younger (hidden surprise) of identical twin girls born April 8, 1952 in Burlington, Wis. to Charles & Loeva (Fell) Bullis. She was the granddaughter of Perry & Pearl (Wiesenthal) Fell of Burlington and Allen & Mabel (Fohr) Bullis of Sturtevant. She was the godchild and grand-niece of John Howard & Evelyn (Wiesenthal) Wooley. Caryl met her husband James Frank Townsend in 1983 while she was living in Riverside, CA. They were married a year later on March 9, 1984. Caryl grew up in Union Grove and Waterford, Wis. and loved being part of a large, multi-generational family. She was a happy child with a sweet personality, bright smile, and engaging laugh. Caryl's looks, laugh, and the sound of her voice were nearly indistinguishable from that of her twin. It made "the ordinary" ever more interesting and amusing. Caryl and her twin sister shared an unbreakable bond and numerous instances of twin telepathy. Caryl attended elementary schools in Union Grove and North Cape. In Kindergarten, she won a blue ribbon at the Racine County Fair for a picture she had drawn and colored. She loved it when her parents took the family to their friend's cottage at Pretty Lake every summer. Her sisters never wanted to be the one sitting next to her on any car ride because Caryl tended to get car sick. In her early teens, she was a member of the International Order of Job’s Daughters, Bethel 61 in Union Grove, a Masonic affiliated organization for young girls. Caryl remembered "Jobies" as a fun, character and spiritual building experience where she enjoyed making friendships, attending summer camp, helping with community projects, and learning organizational and leadership skills. Caryl attended Waterford High School from 1966-1968. Her family moved to Menominee, Mich. in summer 1968. Caryl graduated from Menominee High School in 1970 and returned to Wisconsin to begin her career as a legal secretary and administrative assistant, first in the Waukesha County District Attorney’s Office and thereafter transitioning to private law firms. Caryl was previously married to Lawrence Haasch (1972-1973) and Monte Hood (1974-1978). In 1981, Caryl and her children moved to Riverside, Calif. She accepted a position at the well-known law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLC. She retired in 2017 having worked her entire 47 year career delivering the highest levels of administrative support and confidentiality to law professionals. In further personal education, she completed 60 units of theology courses, a medical transcription certificate program, and obtained certification as a Microsoft Office Specialist. In 1994, Caryl was honored to be one of many volunteers at President Richard Nixon’s state funeral held at the Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, CA. In 1997, Caryl and her husband moved to Corona, CA and resided there for 23 years. Caryl was diagnosed with cancer and an unrelated brain tumor in 2017. She underwent multiple surgeries and treatments and was in remission in 2020. Her dream for retirement was to leave California and spend time with her twin sister. In the Fall of 2020, Caryl and her husband moved to the quiet rural town of Vincent, AL. She and Cheryl were able to spend many weeks of quality time together. Caryl enjoyed music, movies, dancing, theatre, politics, Green Bay Packers football, family history, interior decorating, helping others, and spending time with family. She had a strong faith in God, ethical wisdom, emotional intelligence, generosity, kindness and the ability to graciously accept and handle life’s inevitable imperfections and challenges. Her life was a living example of her servant’s heart. She understood the life and purpose of Jesus in its full power and throughout her life, she not only put other’s needs above her own, she served only with motivation centered in God. She worked very hard. She deeply loved her family. God’s peace was always with her. She measured richness of her life in grace in the joy by which she lived and the love she leaves behind. Shortly before Caryl passed away, she thanked her family and caregivers for their care. She sensed the Lord would call her home very soon, and she wanted her family to know that she had a wonderful life and thanked everyone who made it so. Caryl will be lovingly remembered by her husband of 37 years, James Townsend; children: Kristin Reed (Tim) of Milwaukee, WI, Camile Townsend (David Bailey) of Irvine, CA, and Damian Townsend (Julie Arteaga) of Tustin, CA; stepsons Tracy Grey of Martinsville, VA and Tyran Townsend of Vallejo, CA; grandchildren: Makenna Mealy (Austin) of Waterford, WI, Alyson Reed of West Allis, WI, and Averie Castro of Santa Barbara, CA; great-grandchildren: Oaklyn & August Mealy. She is further survived by four cherished sisters and their husbands: (twin) Cheryl & Fred Buyarski (Sharpsburg, GA), Caren & George Schultz (Sheboygan, WI), Dawn & Todd Thoune (Menominee, MI), and Leslie & Ray Bencivenga (Germantown, WI); her much loved Townsend relatives; her paternal aunt Joyce Kania of Franklin, WI; and a vast extended family which include many nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and dear friends. Caryl was preceded in death by her parents Charles Bullis in 2013 & Loeva Keller in 2010; a sister & brother-in-law Claire Edmond in 2013 & Robert Edmond in 2021; a nephew George C. Schultz in 2004; a niece Rebecca Schultz in 2020; and other relatives. Per Caryl’s wishes, a Memorial Service and interment at Burlington Cemetery will be held in Burlington, Wisconsin in 2022 at a date to be determined. Donations in memory of Caryl (Bullis) Townsend may be made to English Settlement UMC, 28215 Plank Road, Burlington, WI 53105 with designation to Eagle Creek Cemetery maintenance. English Settlement is the church where Caryl's immigrant ancestors worshiped and are buried: 3rd great-grandparents Robert FELL and Thomas & Elizabeth (Buck) BULLES. Caryl was the nicest, kindest, most caring person in the world. I'm so lucky to have had her in my life. She was my anchor, my sanity check, my best friend and soul mate. No matter what the future brings, she is always with me. |
