Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Mary Elizabeth Brown Townsend (Lisha), of Birmingham, Ala. passed away peacefully after a brief illness on Monday, May 28, 2018.

Born in Greenville, Ala., Lisha is predeceased by her husband, James Aubrey Townsend Jr. (Jim) and brother William Thompson Brown (Bill) along with a niece, Rebecca Miller Faircloth and nephew, Thomas Earl Townsend, Jr.

Lisha is survived by her daughters, Ashley Townsend Prewitt (Andrew) of Birmingham, Ala. and Hillary Townsend Ziegenhagen (Michael) of Brooklyn, Ny. and leaves behind her sister, Barbara Brown Miller, a brother-in-law, Thomas Earl Townsend (Cathye), a sister-in-law, Gay Nell Townsend, and her grandson, Wyatt Townsend Ziegenhagen.

Lisha loved being a mother to Ashley and Hillary, a ‘Lishee’ to Wyatt and an aunt to her nieces and nephews, Nancy Miller Idland (Ronald), Wesley Thomas Miller (Ann), Jeremy Thomas Townsend (Dana), Corey Blaine Townsend and Andrew Brock Townsend and will be missed greatly by her family along with friends that are family.

Lisha graduated from The University of Alabama, where she and Jim met as students, and enjoyed a career as a teacher in Tuscaloosa, Ala. before they moved to Birmingham in 1976.  She is remembered by her family and friends as having a wonderful outlook on life, an easy laugh, a passion for reading and at times, being the life of the party.

She allowed her girls the opportunity to grow up always in the company of many beloved family pets through the years and her family rejoices in the fact that she is once again reunited with them in heaven.  Her family wishes to express a special thank you to dear friends at Alabama Oncology, Brookdale Place at University Park, Grandview Medical Center and Home Instead Senior Care for their love and compassion.

A memorial service will take place at 11:00am on Friday, June 1, 2018 at Independent Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Ala. with a visitation to follow.

As Lisha especially loved the Christmas season, and in lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to the Independent Presbyterian Church Holiday House Tour or to honor her love of reading, the Emmet O’Neal Public Library.