Frances "Jeanette" Townsend

Frances Jeanette Covington Townsend, 71, of Laurinburg, peacefully passed away, surrounded by her loved ones, at Morrison Manor on Tuesday, August 8, 2023.

A funeral service will be held at New Hope Baptist Church, 11480 Hasty Rd., Laurinburg, North Carolina on Sunday, August 13 at 2:30 p.m.  The family will receive friends at the church prior to the service beginning at 1:30 p.m.

Frances Townsend, better known to friends and family as Jeanette, was born in Laurinburg, North Carolina on July 2, 1952 to the late Harold and Annie Covington.  She was raised in Laurinburg and graduated from Laurinburg High School in 1970.   When she entered the workforce, she chose her career as a telephone operator; she worked at BellSouth until she retired after thirty years of service.  After retiring from BellSouth, Jeanette then went to work for Scotland County Adult Day Services where she worked for two years.   She then worked for a decade at Four County Community Services as a case worker.  After working for over 42 years, Jeanette finally retired in 2012.

While Jeanette worked tirelessly for many years, she will be most remembered for the unconditional love that she bestowed upon all her family and friends.  She was a person loved and revered by all who knew her.  She was an outstanding mother and grandmother, a dutiful daughter, a caring aunt, a loving sister, and very, very special friend to many people.   She leaves behind her a tremendous legacy—one of resilience, perseverance, and most importantly, deep, unconditional love. 

Jeanette was preceded in death by her mother, Annie Kelly Covington, and father, Harold McNeil Covington Sr., her brother, Harold McNeil (Mac) Covington Jr., and her sister, Barbara Ann Lupo.

She is survived by her daughter, her “precious baby girl,” Angela Townsend (Angel) of Laurinburg, NC and her son, her “pride and joy,” David Townsend of Durham, NC.   In addition to her two biological children, Jeanette had four other children, ones she considered her own—Kenneth (Kenny) Townsend of Tampa, Florida, Michael (Mike) Townsend of Tampa, Florida, Horace (Allen) Townsend of Clearwater, Florida, and Kevin Kingston of Durham, North Carolina.  She is also survived by her one grandchild, Nicholas (Nick) Rogers of Laurinburg, NC, her nieces, nephews, cousins, many special friends, her beloved church family at New Hope Baptist Church, and her canine companion, Roxie.  

While she has left her earthly home to join her Heavenly Father, she leaves behind family and friends who will miss her dearly, but, in knowing Jeanette, they knew a woman of unrelenting faith, a person with outstanding character, and one who serves as an example for us all, as she loved without limits and showed us all the meaning of unconditional love. 

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