Stanley Curtis “Stan” Townswick, age 96. passed away on Monday, April 27, 2026, at Wellington Place in Decorah, Iowa.

A memorial service will be announced at a later date. Memorials may be directed to First Lutheran Church of Decorah, Iowa.

Stan was born on October 1, 1929, in Hardy, Iowa, to Samuel C. and Dania Espe Townswick, the youngest of six children. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Bode, Iowa. The Lutheran church remained an important part of his entire life.

Stan attended grade school in Hardy, Iowa, and high school in Bode, Iowa, where he participated in baseball, basketball, football, and graduated as salutatorian of the class of 1947.

Shortly after high school, Stan served two years in the U.S. Army in Hawaii. Upon discharge, Stan returned to Bode where he had a summertime construction job. One day, a high school classmate, Norma Jean Jordahl, walked by the construction site where they had a brief encounter. That brief conversation started a romance that lasted 57 years until Norma Jean passed away in 2006.

Stan and Norma Jean were married by her father Dr. V.T. Jordahl on June 7, 1952, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Mason City, Iowa. The couple had four children: Ann, Mary, Samuel, and Andrew. Stan was a devoted husband and father, and his highest goal was to support, encourage, and provide for his family. He transmitted the values of education, hard work, honesty, and generosity to his children.

Stan’s working career included one year as a high school teacher in Kanawa, Iowa, and five years in public accountancy for Price Waterhouse in Dallas, Texas. He then spent the next 30 years with Lutheran Brotherhood in Minneapolis, rising to senior vice president and treasurer before his retirement in 1992. One of his career highlights was serving as chairman of the building committee of LB’s new headquarters at 625 4th Avenue in Minneapolis. The rose, glass-clad 17-story building is still an important part of the downtown skyline, housing Hennepin County government activities at present.

Stan was a lifelong proponent of continuing education and never tired of enhancing his academic and professional credentials. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science (BSC) degree in general business from the University of Iowa, a Master of Arts (MA) in accounting from the University of Minnesota, and a Juris Doctor (JD) from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota. In addition, he was an alumnus of the Harvard Business School’s Executive Program. He was a certified public accountant (CPA), a fellow of the Life Management Institute’s Advanced Management Program, and a chartered life underwriter (CLU). Professionally, he was recognized for his problem solving and writing skills.

Stan’s interests outside of work centered around family and church activities. He was a devoted Minnesota Vikings and Iowa Hawkeyes football fan and rarely missed watching a game. He and Norma Jean loved going for walks, and they continued this habit after moving to Decorah in retirement. Stan took up golf at the age of 70, and he enjoyed the fellowship of his golf buddies for 20 years. He frequently described his relationship with golf as an “unrequited love affair.”

With his adding machine and pencil in hand, Stan could frequently be found at the kitchen table, balancing numbers on a spreadsheet. He was generous with his skills, helping numerous family members and friends with tax forms and trusts way into his 90s. He had a clarity of mind, coupled with a sense of humor, that made him a favorite among those he encountered.

As Norma Jean gradually slipped into Alzheimer’s disease, Stan became her full-time caregiver for the better part of a decade. He often said that he felt fortunate to be able to care for her at home until one week before she died in October 2006.

Now, after a long and active life, Stan rests with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Stan will be greatly missed for his wisdom, life experience, genuine interest in those around him, social grace, ability to negotiate, sense of humor, and, most of all, his love and support of his family.

Stan was preceded in death by his wife, Norma Jean, his parents, his five siblings, and many friends. He is survived by his children: Ann Townswick, Mary Townswick, Samuel Townswick (Mette Hammer), and Andrew Townswick; grandchildren Gabriel (Laurie) da Silveira, Emily Townswick, Christopher Townswick, Jordan (Teresa) Townswick Pace, Ashlee (Robert) Conlin, and Anna (Robert) Lutz; and great grandchildren Lua da Silveira, Robert Conlin III, and Leila Mary Pace, along with sisters-in-law Joan Jordahl and Patricia Jordahl and a number of nieces and nephews.