The family of a local historian who recently died have paid tribute to him for his avid love of the town and his involvement in it.
Robert 'Bob' Townsend died on August 14, he was a beloved figure in the Swindon community, contributing immensely to the preservation of the town’s rich history.
Diagnosed with dementia in 2018, Bob battled the disease bravely until his death at the age of 83.
He leaves behind many legacies - from the work he did in the town to his family, with daughters Nicki, 55, and Karen, 57, as well as six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren with the oldest being 33 and the youngest just a month old.
His life will be celebrated at a funeral held at Immanuel Church, Upham Road on Monday, September 2, which anyone who knew him is welcome to attend.
Nicki said: “I think Karen and I used to moan a lot growing up, because of dad dragging us to all this stuff that he was doing. He was interested in antiques so he would take us to antique stores and talk to us about history
“But I ended up working at the Swindon Museum and Art Gallery.”
Born and raised in Swindon, Bob took immense pride in his hometown, dedicating much of his life to researching and preserving its history.
As part of the Swindon Society, he went all over Swindon delivering presentations to community groups about the history of different areas of Swindon alongside his partner Diane Everett and friend Andy Binks.
After completing his apprenticeship at Swindon Railway Works, Bob worked for the Royal Navy on Wroughton Airfield, servicing helicopters and maintaining ground equipment. He later worked as a Conservator for the Science Museum's outstation site on Wroughton Airfield.
Nicki said that those who knew Bob often told her that he was ‘one of the best’ engineers they had ever seen – noting that he could fix anything.
“We miss that a lot, good he was at building things,” she said.
“He was always doing things with the grandkids, and they would love it. He built a huge garage, and he had all these tools in it, and we would all go up there and watch him ‘tinkering’, as he used to say, for hours.
“We had this trampoline and dad built a treehouse and the kids would jump out of the treehouse onto the trampoline. But we’ve got this video of him, he was in his 70s, jumping out of the treehouse onto the trampoline. We couldn’t believe it, but that was Dad.”
Nicki added that Bob was known as ‘broken house Grampy’ by the younger family members because he purchased a house that needed doing up, and every time any of them went around he was in the middle of a major project.
Bob was also deeply passionate about athletics, representing his country in Germany, Norway, and Switzerland, and setting the record in the 3000-meter senior steeplechase at Marlborough College.
His dedication to running and commitment to his community inspired many and earned him recognition as one of the Swindon Advertiser's 'top 50 people in Swindon’ and an entry into Mark Child’s book The Swindon Companion.
In his later years, Bob played a crucial role in digitalizing the Beaney Collection purchased by the Swindon Society and Swindon Museum and Art Gallery, scanning thousands of photographs, and even discovering an image of himself which was later featured on Swindon News' front cover.
Nicki said: “Dad’s love for Swindon, its history, and its people was unwavering. His contributions to the town will not be forgotten, and his legacy will live on in the countless lives he touched. He will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and all who knew him.”
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