Résumé

Towne was commissioned a Lieutenant in the US Army, during World War II, but he did not serve due to a ruptured ear drum.

Partner, [Richard M.] Stern and Towne, Mechanical Engineers, Seattle, WA, c. 1945-1960. Towne gradually became enchanted with acoustical engineering during the 1950s, a period when he would build stereo systems. After 1960, this would become his professional focus.

Principal, Robin M. Towne and Associates, Acoustical Engineers, Seattle, WA, 1960- .

Partner, Towne Richards and Chaudiere, Acoustical Engineers, Seattle, WA, -1995. Towne retired in 1995. This firm subsequently became known as "Bruck, Richards, and Chaudiere" (BRC) after 1995.

In her obituary on Towne, Seattle Times writer Carole Beers stated of his work: "Among his 6,770 acoustical projects were buildings and homes, including a sound system for the Bainbridge Island home of timber magnate Prentice Bloedel, and acoustics for the Intiman and Meany theaters. ...After Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980, Mr. Towne conducted research on infrasound - noise within the affected area - for the National Science Foundation. He retired in 1995, then became involved in a worldwide project connected via the Internet to improve acoustics in school classrooms." (See Carole Beers, Seattle Times, "Robin `Buzz' Towne, 79, Was A Versatile Acoustical Engineer," accessed 12/12/2016.)

High School/College

Graduate, Roosevelt High School, Seattle, WA.

B.S., Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle (UW), Seattle, WA, 1941,

B.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle (UW), Seattle, WA. Towne's family established the "Robin M. Towne Endowed Scholarship" at the UW.

Relocation

His obituary stated: "Born in Seattle, Mr. Towne graduated from Roosevelt High School. He showed an enterprising streak when he pooled his paper-route money with his brother to buy acreage on a lake near Snohomish." (See Carole Beers, Seattle Times, "Robin `Buzz' Towne, 79, Was A Versatile Acoustical Engineer," accessed 12/12/2016.) This must have been an extensive paper route.

Towne passed away from a stroke at the age of 79.

Spouse

According to State of WA records, he married Diane Rose (1921-2013) in King County, WA, on 09/13/1942, until they divorced c. 1973. (Her Russian Jewish family name was Rosovsky, but they changed it to the more English-sounding "Rose," soon after arriving in Seattle in 1912.) In later years, she went by the name Diane Towne Rosovsky. At his death, she lived in Seattle. Her obituary said of her: "When Diane was four, her parents became naturalized citizens changing their name to Rose. Diane attended Bryant Elementary and Roosevelt High School. After graduation, her family moved to Long Beach, CA. Missing her friends, Diane packed a bag, left a note, hopped a bus, and ran away, settling briefly in Oakland where she worked at a juke box company. She soon returned to Seattle to attend the UW and marry her high school sweetheart Robin "Buzz" Towne in 1942. During WWII, she worked at the Sand Point Naval Air Station and in the postwar years raised their three children in Seattle's Lake City neighborhood." (See Seattle Times Obituaries, "Diane Towne Rosovsky," accessed 12/12/2016.) Diane was a lifelong Democrat with wide intellectual interests, including poetry.

He married Harriet P. Steinberg Towne (d. 12/20/2009 in Portland, OR), subsequently, and was with her for 23 years until his death in 1998. This was her second marriage as it was for Robin Towne.

Children

He had three children: Andrew Towne, Candace Rosovsky, and Wesley Towne. At his death in 1998, Andrew resided in Seattle, Candace in Nashville, TN and Wesley on Lopez Island, WA.

Biographical Notes

Towne was called "Buzz" by his friends.

He and his family owned land in both Kitsap and Snohomish Counties during the 1980s-2000s.

SSN: 531-07-3423.

• Seattle, WA (Architect's Death)
  Seattle, WA

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