Ralph Edward Townley (1944 – 2020)
Rev. Ed Townley was an ordained Unity minister and well-known Bible teacher who was ordained in 1991.
Since his ordination in 1991, Rev. Ed, as he was so fondly called, served Unity ministries in Beaverton, OR, Dallas, TX, Hartford, CT, and most recently at Unity of Central Massachusetts in Northborough. We were blessed when Rev. Ed joined Unity Chicago, to serve as Senior Minister from 1991 to 1998.
Rev. Ed was known for his enthusiastic metaphysical interpretations of the Bible, and for his understanding of the Hero’s Journey as a roadmap for our own, individual spiritual unfoldment. His book Kingdom Come: A Guide to the Book of Revelation was published in 2012 by Unity Books. He also authored The Secret According to Jesus, a guide to the Sermon on the Mount. Rev. Ed also founded Spirit Expressing, a ministry dedicated to exploring the creative process through which we are called upon to bring a new dimension of spiritual consciousness into manifestation. Rev. Ed loved social and spiritual gatherings, often incorporating concerts, theater pieces, and other expressions of creative energy into his ministries.
Rev. Ed Townley made his transition in December 2020, suddenly from respiratory failure due to COVID-19.
Celebration of Life
The Celebration of Life for Rev. Ed Townley was held Sunday, January 10, 2021. Click here for the full service and recording along with photos, interviews, and more about Ed’s life.
Additional Information
Ed did not graduate from Princeton, so there is no Nassau Herald photo. At Princeton, Ed roomed with Seth Braunstein, Larry Lindsey, and Ron Peters. Larry shared the following memories:
“I learned of Ed Townley’s passing two years ago when I Googled the two religious books he wrote. Ed, Ron Peters, Seth Braunstein and I roomed together our first two years at Princeton, 84 Patton Hall and 642 Pyne Hall respectively. I remember Ed fondly as a tall, out-going avid reader with an infectious smile, a devilish sense of humor and a quick, and sometimes rapier wit. Definitely not the world’s greatest athlete (although he was no slouch on the golf course). I once tried to teach him how to swim the butterfly but gave up when he almost drowned down at Dillon Pool. I recall a story he told me about the day after JFK was elected president where as a not-so-avid Catholic, he marched into his high school home room and jokingly proclaimed “All right all you lame-brained Protestants, line up against the wall! WE’RE in power now!” I understand Ed wandered for a couple of years, floundering with alcoholism, but finally found himself in the gay community as a minister and motivational speaker. When I checked out one of his many speeches, I was glad to see he hadn’t lost his way with words.”
Richard McConnell wrote (Oct 3), "A fine man."
Ed was a member of Campus Club and roomed at the club with Norm Tabler during the summer of ’66 after graduation.
If you have photos, information, or memories of Ed that you would like to share on this page, please email the Communications Team at 66_CommTeam@tiger1966.org.
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