Maxine Townsend
Maxine Oliver Townsend, formerly of Ossining, died September 3 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. She was 80.
She was born October 30, 1939, in a log cabin in Mebane, North Carolina, to the late Margaret Lily McCullum and Ernest Compton, the second of three children born of this union. As opportunities arose in the north, her mother, affectionately known as “Ms. Margaret” moved Maxine and her siblings to Ossining.
After assisting her mother as a mother’s helper, Maxine was encouraged to excel in education in the Ossining Public School System. She graduated from Ossining High School, Class of 1957, and then secured an internship in a finance office in Manhattan. The exposure and success of her boss ignited her desire to pursue a career in business, and she later enrolled at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where she majored in Business Administration, sharing the halls with classmates Roberta Flack and Toni Morrison. She also earned a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of the District of Columbia.
Maxine met the love of her life and future husband, Emory Tolson, Jr., while at Howard. To this union, two sons were born, but his sudden passing at an early age ended their five-year marriage. She later married Thomas Townsend and they had one daughter.
Maxine’s extensive business career began as a division manager at the Hecht Company. She also served as Deputy Budget Director under the late Washington, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry, and regularly presented to the U.S. Congress on budgetary issues. She was a trailblazer, usually serving as the first African-American woman in increasingly responsible leadership positions. She also served as Budget Director for the District of Columbia Department of Human Services, where she managed the largest governmental budget. In her final professional role, Maxine served as Finance Director for the U.S. Peace Corps for three years in Cote d’Ivoire on the coast of West Africa.
An avid tennis player, history lover, and world traveler, Maxine’s adventures included family and solo vacations to every continent of the world, except Antarctica. Throughout her life, service was always a part of Maxine’s creed. She carried on the rich tradition given to her by her mother and grandmother who opened their home to family and friends for shelter, great cooking, and pearls of wisdom. She opened her home to runaways, cultural exchange students, and anyone in need. Her greatest joy was being active in the lives of her children and she was a zealous supporter of their interests in sports, academics and entrepreneurship, and later in their adult pursuits. Maxine was the champion of her neighborhood kids, inspiring and encouraging them in their pursuits and even assisting with college tuition, when needed. Her community service continued after retirement and she served as a member and trustee of All Saints Lutheran Church in Bowie, Maryland, as a Deacon at Mebane First Presbyterian Church in Mebane, North Carolina, and as a volunteer with community organizations, including the Mental Health Association of Prince George’s County.
Maxine’s parents and one brother, James D. Oliver, Sr., preceded her in death. She leaves to cherish precious memories her two sons, Todd Tolson of Silver Spring, MD, and Tracey Tolson of New York, NY; a daughter, Sabrina Kuhn and her husband Toussel of Dallas, Texas; two grandsons, Jamel Tolson and Isaiah Townsend; three step-children; one brother, Harold Oliver of Ossining; four sisters-in-law and one brother-in-law. She is also survived by one uncle, Thomas Vinson of Mebane, NC; many nieces and nephews, including Sheryl Oliver of Fayetteville, GA; special friends, Joan Levermore, Mildred Osborne, Yvonne Bert and Francine Vernon; special children, Kris Hunigan and Margot Brown; and many cousins and friends.
