Barbara Dinkel Dillon ’49, of Darien, Conn.; Mar. 28.

Barbara Dinkel Dillon ’49, of Darien, Conn.; Mar. 28. She worked as an editorial assistant at the New Yorker magazine in Manhattan, while also doing some freelance writing. She sold her first story, “The Grand Champion Peanut Racer,” to Woman’s Day magazine at the age of 23. Over the course of her career, she authored nine children’s books, including A Mom by Magic, which was made into an NBC TV movie, A Mom for Christmas, produced by Walt Disney Productions in 1990. She spoke at several local schools about her writing and remained an avid reader of children’s literature and the New York Times Book Review. She enjoyed attending the Darien Playhouse and New York City theater. She also played tennis, golf, paddle tennis, and bridge. She volunteered in several organizations, taught pre-reading skills to underprivileged children in Stamford, Conn., and was a volunteer for 25 years at Person-to-Person in Darien. She is survived by three daughters and their spouses, eight grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and a brother.