The Todd A. Town Memorial Fund has been established at the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation. Submitted photo

It’s often said that loss can bring people closer.

Telling stories, sharing memories, and flipping through photos helps to relive the priceless moments that sometimes get lost in the shuffle. It helps us value what’s important and brings us together with those we care about the most. For the Town family, coming together is natural, thanks to a husband and father who found ways to ensure they’d never be apart.

Todd Town lost his life in 2023 as the result of an automobile accident. He acted in an instant to heroically save the life of Sandy Town, his passenger, high school sweetheart, and beloved wife of 37 years. Town’s act of selflessness cost him his life, but after a lengthy hospital stay and multiple surgeries, assured Sandy Town would reunite with their family.

The act of courage dealt the family a significant loss, but also brought about incredible gratitude and appreciation for what they learned from a most inspiring figure.

During the time immediately following the January 2023 accident, the Town family didn’t have the bandwidth to focus on anything other than the immediacy of their situation. Sandy Town’s hospital room became their temporary home. That’s when the greater Chautauqua County community came to their aid with a GoFundMe campaign.

“The outpouring from the public, both in love and donations, was incredible,” said Town’s son, Joe Town. “We live in a small community, but you wouldn’t think that by the amount they raised for us. It went a long way toward helping us manage all the bills we faced. We simply can’t explain how much that meant to us.”

Once Sandy was stable, Town’s children, Mike, Ashley, Joe and Nicole, reached out to the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation to establish the Todd A. Town Memorial Fund to remember their father and give back to the community that gave so much to them.

“It is an honor to work with families like the Towns to establish a positive legacy out of tragic circumstances,” said Tory Irgang, executive director. “This Fund will allow the Town family to decide together what that impact looks like.”

“One of my dad’s favorite things to do with us was go on camping trips,” said Ashley Wilson, Town’s daughter. “Those trips taught us the benefits of living in the moment and kept us connected. We would like to help other families have access to opportunities like those.”

“We use the word hero to describe our dad,” Wilson said. “This fund is our way to remember him and give others the happiness that our dad brough to us.” Donations to support the Todd A. Town Memorial Fund can be made at crcfonline.com/give.

The Chautauqua Region Community Foundation administers over 700 endowments in support of emerging community needs, charitable organizations and local students pursuing higher education. For more information visit www.crcfonline.org or contact Lisa Lynde, donor services officer at 716-661-3390 or llynde@crcfonline.org