Jacob B. Townsend

Jacob "Jake" Benjamin Townsend, 38, of rural Delavan, IL, passed away on Monday, June 29, 2026, as the result of a tragic car accident between McLean and Armington, IL.

He was born March 25, 1988, in Champaign, IL, the third child and son of Carl (Carol) Townsend of Urbana, IL, and Terri (Bob) Herbst of Mahomet, IL, both of whom survive him. On August 25, 2025, he married Kelly Jo Sands Risinger of rural Hopedale, IL, who also survives him.

He is further survived by his son, Logan; three step-children, Emily and Luke Risinger of Danvers, IL, and Zachary (Lillian Nelson) Risinger of McLean, IL; twin granddaughters Marceline and Mabel Risinger, also of McLean; two older brothers, Joshua (Brigid) Townsend of Bloomington, IL, and Jason (Renee) Townsend of Mahomet; a younger sister, Jennifer "Jiffer" Townsend of Portland, OR; a niece, Lilliana, of Bloomington, and a nephew, Riley, of Mahomet; his mother- and father-in-law, Lynn (Duane) Rothrock Westhoff of Danvers and Douglas (Pam Mills McKinney) Sands of Hopedale and New Haven, IL; his best friend and special cousin, Dylan Trott of Cisco, IL, with whom he loved talking daily about Illinois Basketball and other sports; and numerous other relatives and friends whom he loved dearly.

Jake was devoted to his animals. His loyal dog and companion, Winnie, who he and Kelly had recently adopted from his mother-in-law, was in the back seat of the car when the accident occurred. Winnie miraculously survived the crash. She never left his side or made a sound while patiently awaiting assistance from emergency personnel. He is also survived by his cat, Lion-Eye, who has kept watch by his tennis shoes in the bedroom while also patiently awaiting his return home. Lion-Eye's brother, Chief, is presumed to have preceded him in death, having gone missing after sneaking outside shortly after Jake and Kelly adopted a pet snake they named Jake Jr. ("JJ"). Jake also used to have a beloved pet that he named JT who he loved reminiscing about on occasion.

Jake was a lifelong member of the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in St. Joseph, IL, where he was baptized as an infant and confirmed in 2003. He graduated early from St. Joseph-Ogden High School in 2007, and then went to work for the Champaign County Juvenile Detention Center while studying criminal justice at Parkland Community College, earning his degree in 2009.

In 2011, Jake enlisted in the United States Army, proudly serving his country by assembling weapons for the front lines. A fall during basic training left him disabled, and he was medically boarded before being honorably discharged from Fort Gordon, GA in 2012 after a year of service, having earned the rank of Private First Class and the National Defense Service Medal. He persevered through his pain, finding purpose by staying connected to the military through the Veterans Administration, and remained a strong advocate for improving the quality of life for disabled veterans until his death. Kelly intends to carry on that legacy through her former graduate nursing work, aimed at reducing harm to wounded warriors serving overseas and on domestic soil. As Jake would always say to anyone he encountered out in public that was a military veteran, “Thank you for your service.”

He most recently worked as a cook and concession’s attendant at 4-Rocks Arena in rural Delavan, across from his wife's family farm, and spent the past couple harvest seasons as a scale operator for Encompass Grain & Rail Co-op. Earlier in his career, he enjoyed working in movie theaters and other customer-service roles that allowed him to connect with the public. Jake was the kind of person who would give the shirt off his back to help someone in need, because he understood the struggle.

He will be sorely missed by all who knew and loved him. Jake loved his wife, family, pets, close friends, his country, and living on his wife's family's seventh-generation Mennonite farm. He was passionate about fast sports cars, WWE wrestling, Illinois Basketball, and sports betting through FanDuel and DraftKings. A devoted movie buff, he especially loved action, adventure, anime, and horror films — in particular the Scream and Scary Movie series — along with Mortal Kombat, Dragon Ball Z, Batman, Marvel, the Punisher, the Joker, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He loved animals, collecting, fishing at his wife's family's pond, a good trip to Walmart, spending time outdoors, reading about history and current events, playing his PS5, and planning for the future. He cherished day trips with Kelly and Winnie, and taking Winnie to dog parks to play fetch. Music brought him constant joy, especially his favorite band, Breaking Benjamin, whom he was overjoyed to finally see live again in 2024 — after 18 years — with Kelly by his side. He loved going out to eat, especially at Monical's Pizza and Pizza Ranch, and so much more. Above all, Jake fiercely loved his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, with whom he now rests in peace.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, July 9, 2026, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm, with his funeral to follow on Friday, July 10, 2026 at 10am, both at Sunset Funeral Home and Cremation Center’s Mahomet Chapel, 1102 Churchill Rd. Mahomet, IL 61853. Burial with military honors will follow at Grandview Memorial Gardens in Champaign. A meal will be served afterward at Mahomet Christian Church for family members and close friends to attend in Jake's honor and to support his family. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date for those closest to Jake at Monical's Pizza in Mahomet.

Memorials may be made in Jake's honor to Wounded Warriors, the Freedom Paws Service Dogs Foundation in Chillicothe, IL, or to a charity of the donor's choice.

Please join Jake’s family in sharing memories, photos, and video on his tribute wall at www.sunsetfuneralhome.com.