Obituary: Mary-Chilton Winslow Mead dies, known for her gracious wit
Mary-Chilton Winslow Mead, of Brooklyn and Stillwater, N.J., died peacefully on Wednesday, May 7, at The Nathaniel Witherell Nursing Center in Greenwich, Conn. She was 79.
Born in Manhattan, Mead, known affectionately as Mimi, lived in Brooklyn Heights for many years. She and her husband Bill were longtime members of Grace Church-Brooklyn Heights, serving in leadership positions. They particularly loved singing in the Parish Choir together. Above all, she was respected for her elegance, wit and compassion.
Mimi attended The Nightingale-Bamford School and graduated from The Brearley School, both in Manhattan. She attended Radcliffe College. Later, she made her career as a journalist and syndicated columnist for the Bell-McClure papers. She also worked in advertising and was a director of corporate communications at The Dreyfus Corp. for more than 20 years. She retired in 1995. She was a member of The Harvard Club of New York.
Travel was central to Mimi and Bill Mead. Early in their marriage, they visited Mexico (particularly the Yucatán), where both developed an interest in archaeology and the Mayan civilization. Subsequently, they visited Nepal and India; Great Britain and France; and Egypt/Middle East. Bill’s work as a lawyer took them to Europe and the family lived in Brussels, Belgium, for two years. Her family loved Great Britain and France and Mimi became fluent in French.