John G. Townsend

May 28, 1945 – Sept. 14, 2015

John G. Townsend, “JT”, 70, of Poulsbo, died Sept. 14, 2015.

He was born to the late Gilbert and Jean Townsend on May 28, 1945 in Glendale, California. He graduated from Mountain View High School and attended Foothill College.

John tended to be self-taught since he dealt with lifelong chronic illness and was often unable to complete classes.

John spent his adult life working at a grand variety of jobs. His illness was no match for his self-deprecating sense of humor, active intelligence and great interest in the world.

As a young man in San Francisco, he was a mail carrier. After moving to Oregon, he opened a successful business, Goodies Deli, in Eugene.

In 1987, John moved to Seattle, married Carol Price and worked for a time in various photography jobs. Following his passion for marital arts, John studied under Master Hak Tok Yun; he also managed Master Yun’s school, World Martial Arts in Ballard. Eventually, John took a job with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and, 10 years later, retired.

John and Carol moved to Poulsbo in 1994 seeking a quieter lifestyle. In his retirement, John established Tao Zen Martial Arts, a school where he taught a style of martial arts focusing on self-defense for students of all sizes. He also wrote a book describing his style which was published in 2006.

In 2014, Grand Master Yun appointed John to the rank of 6th Dan and awarded him Grand Master — the highest title in traditional martial arts.

John is survived by his wife of 28 years, Carol; and by his uncle, Robert Townsend of Los Angeles, California. He also leaves behind a community of good friends.

There will be a private memorial to celebrate John’s life

at the Suquamish Congregational Church on Oct. 10 at 1:30 p.m.