Barbara Carson Vaughan

Barbara C. Vaughan, 87, of Heron Point, in Chestertown, MD, died on Monday April 29, 2013, at Chester River Hospital Center. Born to Ivan D. Carson and Charlotte Day Carson in Oak Park, IL, on May 1, 1925, Barbara moved with her parents to Washington, DC, in 1934. In 1948, she married Joseph F. Vaughan, who predeceased her in 2008. She also was preceded in death by her two sons, William in 1989 and Douglas in 2008. Barbara graduated with honors from Woodrow Wilson High School. The following year she went to New York, where she studied voice at the Frank Damrosch/Julliard School of Music for two years. While in New York she sang background music for recordings and was a member of St. Bartholomew Church. Upon her return to Washington she sang in the National Presbyterian Church Choir. Barbara met her husband when both were members of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church Choir. She was president of Sodality of Our Lady for two years in Little Flower Catholic Church. She studied drama and music at Catholic University and was the ingénue role in the first musical, “The Liar,” produced by the drama school. In 1965, Barbara and her husband moved to Alexandria, VA, residing there for 25 years in Old Town. They volunteered with many historical organizations in the town, especially the Alexandria Little Theatre. She maintained a beautiful garden in the backyard of their townhouse, and she was a member of the Old Dominion Chrysanthemum Society. In 1975, being inspired by the upcoming Bicentennial, she and six friends founded a company called Doorways to Old Virginia. The company featured colonial costumed guides for walking tours of Old Town, Alexandria. It developed a bus tour of Old Town and student walking tours. On one occasion Doorways to Old Virginia brought a group to Chestertown. This stay inspired the Vaughans' ultimate move in 1991 to Heron Point, a senior community in historic Chestertown. For the residents of Heron Point, she put her touring experience to work and conducted three successful trips. Barbara and her husband joined Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Chestertown, where she cared for the roses and gardens of the parish for 12 years, earning her the title of “The Rose Lady.” A Master Gardener, Barbara lovingly tended her Heron Point cottage gardens that are filled with diverse plantings. Mrs. Vaughan is survived by a niece, Ann Webster of Lexington, MA; three grandchildren, Charlotte M. Vaughan, Dylan Kent Vaughan and Jonathan Vaughan; and three nephews, Gary, James, and Lee Henninger. Funeral services will be held on May 13, 2013, at 10 a.m. at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, 508 High Street, Chestertown, MD. Interment will be at 3 p.m. on the same day in St. Mary’s Catholic Church Cemetery in Alexandria, VA. Memorial gifts may be made to the music program at Sacred Heart Church in Chestertown.

Barbara Carson Vaughan

May 1, 1925 - April 29, 2013