Barbara Drummond Mead

Barbara Drummond Mead of Chester died on August 23, 2011, at the Anne Arundel Medical Center. She graduated from Saint Mary’s High School in Annapolis in 1977 and graduated from Boston College with a BA in Political Science in 1981. Barbara spent most of her career in the publishing industry, and was respected by publishers, authors, booksellers, and readers nationwide. She worked for many years as a bookseller and event organizer at independent bookstores including McIntyre’s Books in the Chapel Hill, NC, area and at Covered Treasures Bookstore in Monument, CO. Most recently, she served as Owner and President of Reading Group Choices helping reading groups enliven their discussions and assisting publishers in promoting literary fiction and other selected discussible books to the reading group community. Her advice and research has been published online in Ladies Home Journal, Women’s World, Shelf Awareness, Publisher’s Weekly, and Book Business Magazine. She moderated many reading group panels featuring well-known authors at the Virginia Festival of the Book, the Southern Festival of the Book, the New Jersey Library Association, the Beverly Hills Literary Escape, and many others. She was a member of the American Bookseller Association, the American Library Association, and participated in the Association of Writers and Writing Programs. She served her local community as a Board Member of the Chesapeake Women’s Network, on the Auction Committee of the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center and as the Foyer Group Chair at Christ Church Parish – Kent Island. Barbara is survived by her husband Charles F. Mead of Chester; and is the daughter of Dorothy Parker of Easton and Anthony Drummond of Chester; step-daughter of Fred Parker of Easton; step-mother of Heather M. Jack of Ashland, MA, and Christopher C. Mead of Alexandria, VA; and the sister of Christopher Drummond (Cindy) of Queenstown, Susan Vianna of Chester, Colin Drummond (Kathleen) of Maple Glen, PA, and Alison Wilson (Craig) of Charlottesville, VA; step-grandmother of four; and aunt to eight nieces and three nephews. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, August 26, 2011, at Christ Church Parish – Kent Island, 830 Romancoke Road, Stevensville, MD 21666, where the family will receive friends beginning at 10:00 am. Burial will follow in Broad Creek Cemetery, Stevensville. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center (CBEC), P.O. Box 519, Grasonville, MD 21638; Christ Church Parish – Kent Island, 830 Romancoke Road, Stevensville, MD 21666; the Epilepsy Foundation, 8301 Professional Place, Landover, MD 20785; or to the American Cancer Society, Mid-Atlantic Division, 92 Read's Way, Suite 205, New Castle, DE 19720. Funeral arrangements by Fellows, Helfenbein & Newnam Funeral Home, P.A. in Chester.

Barbara Drummond Mead

October 28, 1959 - August 23, 2011