A week ago a bright, charismatic and hilarious human being was taken from us. He had been a close friend of my husband's for over a decade.
We have spent the last week crying, laughing and remembering Will Townsend. The shock has not worn off yet and at times it feels as if we are speaking of something that could not possibly be true.
The day we heard the news, Jay was a shell of himself. Avery and I visited him at work to give him a kiss and a hug, and he was not himself. That evening he worked to keep his mind occupied, going to the gym, handling household chores, reading, watching TV and avoiding Facebook. I gave him his space.
The next morning we spoke of Will as we got ready for the day. I shared my story of the first time I met Will.
Jay and I had just begun dating and I headed over to Art's house to meet up with him and "meet the boys." I called Jay to let him know that I was out front and before Jay could open the front door all the way to greet me, Will had his arm around his neck and was pointing at me. He kept saying, "Is this her?!" He proceeded to tell me that Jay had been talking about me all night and that he was so excited to meet me. I seriously think he spoke for 3 minutes straight before Jay broke away from his grip, gave me a kiss and said, "This is Bill."
The majority of the evening stayed just like that, Jay and Bill with their arms around one another talking about their love. The exact phrase was, "My brotha from anotha motha."
Bill had amazing energy and was all over the house, but he kept coming back to me. Asking me questions and telling me how much he thought of Jay. Any nerves I had about meeting Jay's friends were taken away by Bill's genuine interest in getting to know me and his crazy antics.
I was pulled into the garage to listen to the boys jam. I was cringing a bit, what would I say if they sucked? Jay was on the drums, Amir the guitar, Art the bass and Will took the microphone in one hand, a cocktail in the other. They began playing, and I was shocked, they were good! The biggest shock of the jam session was Bill. He began rapping into the mic and was AMAZING! His lyrics and rhymes blew me away. I immediately knew that I could not underestimate this guy, he was a seriously intelligent, talented and witty person. As I relayed this story to Jay we were both smiling and laughing. Jay said that there was only one way to describe it, "That guy could flow like a motha fucka!"
Jay reminisced about Bill and their "Friday Afternoon Cocktail Sessions." While Bill was still in Irvine he would go over to Jay's condo every Friday afternoon to have cocktails, tell stories and philosophize. Bill always called Jay, Laser Jay, and to this day, Jay still doesn't know why. I think that is hilarious! When the rest of the group got off of work, Jay and Bill would head over to Art's house to spend the evening in a jam session. Those truly are some of Jay's happiest memories. Him and his boys, at Art's house, having some cocktails and jamming.
My second time meeting Bill was at a bar in LA. I said "Hi Bill!" And spent a few minutes talking with him. As the evening wore on, I realized that a lot of people were calling him "Will." I felt terrible, had I called him the wrong name? I pulled Jay aside and asked, "Is it Bill or is it Will?" Jay just laughed and nonchalantly replied, "it's both."
At the time this made no sense to me, why does he have 2 names? But as I got to know Bill more it became clear. A personality and charisma that big couldn't be called just one name. In every group and every stage of life Will had a unique name or nickname. I have never known anyone who had more nicknames than Will.
The last time we saw Will was at Amir and Ava's wedding. I am so grateful for that amazing evening. I only spoke to Will for a few minutes, but I am so happy that I got to hug him. Will was the life of the dance floor and I'm sure he closed the place down.
From the moment I met Jay and was introduced into this group of friends, I knew how incredibly lucky I was. This is a rare group of kind, loving, intelligent and creative men. There is genuine love, respect and caring for one another. I have always been welcomed and was immediately loved, simply because Jay loved me. Bill's death has left a huge hole in this amazing group.
To Bill,
I wish I could of known you better, I wish I could have known you longer, but I am grateful that I got to know you at all. Your Facebook page and the hole I see in my husband's heart speaks for itself. You truly lived and were truly loved.
Cheers to you my friend, RIP.
www.gamasutra.com
Will Townsend, a veteran video game producer renowned for his enthusiasm and humor, was tragically killed in a car accident in Los Angeles on Monday night. He was 33 years old.
Townsend is remembered by his friends and colleagues as a creative manager, problem solver and jokester whose spirit and smile were infectious to those around him.
Townsend began his career in game development in 2001, when he scored his first contract testing job at Electronic Arts' Westwood studio. Over the next four years, he transitioned into an assistant producer role, and shipped titles such as Command & Conquer: Generals, Medal of Honor: European Assault and Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth.
He later moved on to Activision, where he worked on Spider-Man 3 for consoles and handhelds, and oversaw the development of several Guitar Hero titles for Wii and DS. It was here where Townsend became a full-fledged producer, and helped lead the development of the first DJ Hero.
In January, Townsend joined MapleStory publisher Nexon America, where he helped manage the company's social and mobile game operations.
Throughout his career, Townsend was beloved by many of his colleagues, particularly for his optimism and infectious humor.
"I worked with Will at EA during the worst crunch I've ever experienced," Zynga animator Adam McCarthy tells us. "Will was, without a doubt, one of the reasons I was able to keep laughing and having fun at my job during the darkest period of my 19-year career in the games industry."
"His amazing spirit and infectious smile made every day more fun and interesting. I never had a single conversation with Will where he didn't make me laugh."
Beyond his humor, Townsend is also remembered for his superior management skills and business insight.
"He had a knack for the creative, execution, and business aspects of the industry -- all the traits that make a great producer," says former colleague Amir Rahimi, also from Zynga. "He was also the kind of guy that, no matter how serious a meeting, would find a way to make the room smile."
"One thing that gives me solace is that he lived every minute of his life to the fullest. In his 33 years, he probably experienced more than most people do in 80."
| Obituary: DJ Hero Producer Will Townsend by Tom Curtis |
