ST. LOUIS — The founder of a St. Louis-based music nonprofit has died one year after he was shot near Forest Park.
Tom Townsend had cancer and was the victim of an attempted carjacking in September 2018.
Townsend was also a retired advertising executive.
Shenna Duncan, the executive director of the nonprofit that he founded, Pianos for People, confirmed to 5 On Your Side Friday morning.
Duncan shared the following statement,
‘It is with profound sadness and disbelief that we are letting people know that Tom Townsend lost a short and ferocious battle with cancer. The timing of this is especially cruel. It happened a year after the shooting and 2 weeks before his daughter’s wedding. Anyone who would like to show their support and contribute to one of his many legacies can do so by donating to piano for people and the community that he’s greatly enriched.
Our hearts our utterly shattered. We ask that you respect the family privacy during this difficult time.
Tom was one of those people that made everybody feel special and loved, his eyes sparkled despite of the hardships that he suffered. He was always there for people. The reason he is so beloved is because he is one of the most warm, loving and special human beings to have ever walked on this planet.’
Duncan said Townsend was diagnosed two weeks before his daughter's wedding. His daughter got married in front of him in the hospital room, she said.
In 2018, Townsend was shot in the neck while he was sitting in his SUV. The attempted thief didn’t take his car.
5 On Your Side’s Art Holliday talked with Townsend a few months after the attempted carjacking. He said he was grateful to be alive.
In May, Art Holliday sat down with Townsend about how music was helping him heal.
Performers like Anita Jackson, Matthew Boyd Williams, Walter Parks, and Jim Boggia play music at Townsend's house and discuss the healing power of music.
"The musicians walk right in, sit down, we chat, we don't rehearse," said Townsend. "We pick a song, we play it and it's organic, authentic, real, and it's healing for me."
His nonprofit Pianos for People came about in tribute to his pianist son who died in a car accident.
Pianos for People is an organization that gives free pianos and lessons to families who couldn’t otherwise afford them. Click here for more about the nonprofit
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