Michele (DiGrazia) Townsend

In Loving Memory of Michele DiGrazia Townsend
Michele DiGrazia Townsend passed away peacefully on October 18, 2025. She was born
on October 22, 1945, in Chicago, Illinois, to Joseph J. and Bernice (Mientkiewicz)
DiGrazia. Michele attended parochial school as a child and later graduated from
Loretto Academy of the Immaculate Conception High School in Chicago’s Woodlawn
neighborhood. She went on to study English at Loretto Heights College in Denver,
Colorado.
After teaching high school English for two years, Michele began a new chapter at MCA
Records in Los Angeles, where she worked in artist communication and promotion and
eventually became Director of Public Relations. During her time at MCA and
throughout her career in the recording industry, Michele met many of the era’s most
celebrated artists, including Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Neil Diamond, Loretta Lynn,
John Denver, and Marvin Hamlisch, among many others. She even had the honor of
meeting President Jimmy Carter.
In addition to her work in music, Michele briefly owned and operated Conrad’s
Colonial Steakhouse & Lounge in Atlantic City - a popular spot just steps from the
famed boardwalk and beach. In 1980, Michele founded her own public relations firm,
The Media Connection, before relocating to Dallas, Texas. In 1986, she sold the firm
and began a successful new career in real estate and investment properties, which
she continued with enthusiasm until her retirement in 2018.
Throughout her life, Michele touched countless lives and formed many cherished
friendships - connections she valued deeply and nurtured with love, for as long as
she could. Michele had a special gift for brightening the world around her. Whether
through a kind word, a clever remark, or simply by walking into a room, she made
people feel lighter and happier. Her laugh was warm and genuine, the kind that would
lift any mood, and her smile was so heartfelt and inviting that it instantly made
you feel at home.
Michele is survived by her husband, Smith Townsend; her brother, Tom DiGrazia (Ina);
her sister, Bartholomae “Bart” Hershman; her nephews, Joseph DiGrazia, J. Richard
Allison Jr., John Allison, and Robert Allison (Sandra); her niece, Stephanie
Hershman; her stepchildren, Brett Townsend (Pam) and Shawn Townsend (Majed Hobbi);
and her step-grandchildren, Jessica Townsend (Aaron Sanders) and Matthew Townsend
(Aglael Ortiz Ortiz).
She was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph J. DiGrazia (2009) and Bernice
Mientkiewicz DiGrazia (1998); her sister, Annette Allison (2019); her stepson,
Michael A. Townsend (1982); and her brothers-in-law, Richard Allison (2011) and
Howard Hershman (2020).
There will be no funeral service at this time. A private gathering for family and
friends will take place at a later date, to be determined.

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