Lynda was born Jan. 26, 1944, in Morton, Washington. She lived her early years in Mossyrock with her parents, Don Davis and Joyce Rathbun Davis. In 1946, she began spending summers mostly in Alaska, but also off the coasts of Washington, Oregon and California on the family commercial fishing boat, trolling for salmon and tuna. They lived a short time in Moss Landing, California, from 1950-1951.
In 1957, she moved to Ketchikan, Alaska, on the 38-foot trolling boat Gene with her parents, three brothers and the family dog, with household goods in the fish hold. She attended Ketchikan High School in the age of hula hoops and "pedal-pushers." At age 15, she was commercial fishing with her father when they caught a 64-pound dressed king salmon that weighed about 70 pounds before it was cleaned.
She married Patrick Townsend in 1960, and they had three children, Gary, Brian and Kirk. They moved with the children to Washington state in 1963. Years later, she married Alvin Smither and lived in Grants Pass, Oregon.
She married Kenneth Parker in 1978. They lived in Gold Beach and Oakridge, Oregon; Grand Prairie and Palestine, Texas; Centralia, Washington; and Ketchikan. She worked for years as a busheller in Oregon and Washington plywood mills and later in Ketchikan at the LP sawmill as a lumber grader. She was a Christian and attended Rock Foursquare Church and Good News Church in Ketchikan. She served as a missionary with Romine Missions in Hong Kong, the Philippines and Brazil.
Lynda was preceded in death by her father, Donald A. Davis; husband Ken Parker; and son Gary Townsend. She is survived by her mother, Joyce Rathbun Davis, 101; brothers David, Clark and Brad Davis; sons Brian Townsend and Kirk Townsend (Kesie); daughter Stacie Lane; multiple grandchildren; several great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
Lynda very much enjoyed staying in touch with her many friends, relatives and church family throughout the country for hugs, stories, smiles and especially laughs.
A memorial will be held in Ketchikan, Alaska, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026.
Drop-in from noon to 3 p.m. in the upstairs conference room at the Landing Hotel.
Another memorial will be held in Mossyrock, Washington, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2026, at noon. The graveside service will be at Mossyrock Doss Cemetery (on the hill), with a memorial gathering directly afterward at Mossyrock Community Hall adjacent to Mossyrock City Hall.
