Mrs. Laura Townsend Hove: Obituary

The Cochran Funeral Home of Hiawassee announces Memorial Services for Laura Townsend Hove, 86, of Young Harris, Georgia passed away Wednesday, August 23, 2017.

Laura Townsend Hove, 86, of Young Harris, Georgia passed away Wednesday, August 23, 2017.

Laura was born October 14, 1930 in New Rochelle, New York and spent most of her childhood in Hartsdale, New York. Her life-long love for music surfaced in the fifth grade as she began to play the cornet. She graduated from White Plains High School in White Plains, New York, after which she traveled west to study bacteriology at Iowa State University. There she met her husband Roger in the Iowa State Concert Band, where they both played cornet. While at Iowa State she was also a member of the synchronized swimming team and sang in the women’s glee club.

Following graduation, she and Roger married on September 14, 1952. Laura worked in laboratories where she contributed to cancer treatment research.

After raising her children, Laura received a master’s degree in math education at Georgia State University and began a new career as a math teacher. Upon retirement from formal teaching she served patients at Northside Hospital as a volunteer Pink Lady and continued to tutor math students in the Atlanta and Young Harris areas.

Over their 64 years together Roger and Laura lived in Tuckahoe, New York, Albany, New York, Augusta, Maine, Albany, New York (again), and Dunwoody, Georgia, before moving to Young Harris, Georgia for retirement. They were active in Hayesville First United Methodist Church and loved the community of Pine Crest subdivision. In her years here she sang with the Mountain Community Chorus in Young Harris and was a member of the Brasstown Ringers for several years. Laura sang in church choirs and was a handbell ringer for most of her adult life. She also loved the mountains, camping and hiking.

She was preceded in death by her parents, B. Richter and Frances Townsend, and is survived by her husband, Roger W. Hove, brother R. Marvin Townsend and wife Jody of Austin, Texas, sister Janet Kniss of Clark, New Jersey, children Rick Hove and wife Sonya of Durham, North Carolina, Bob Hove and wife Sarah of Duluth, Georgia, Sheryl Quinlan and husband Kevin of Manassas, Virginia, grandchildren Jessica Quinlan McCrowell, Erik Hove, Josh Quinlan, Andrew Hove, Keith Hove, Meagan Hove, and Mark Hove, and great grand-daughter Emsley Hove.

Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 pm Saturday, August 26, 2017 at Hayesville First United Methodist Church, 989 Highway 64 Business, Hayesville, NC. Family will receive friends at 1:00-1:45pm. The Rev. Kirk Hatherly will officiate.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made in memory of Laura to Hayesville First United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 85, Hayesville, NC 28904.

Arrangements entrusted to Cochran Funeral Home of Hiawassee.