Estelle G. Drummond

Newport, RI - Estelle G. Drummond, 76, of 84 Evarts Street, Newport, Rhode Island, died Wednesday, February 21, 2007 at Newport Hospital. She was the wife of the late Thornton Benjamin Drummond, Jr. Born in Newport on February 4, 1931, she was the daughter of the late Albert P. and Pauline Jackson Gaines. She attended Calvert Cranston Elementary, Mumford, and Rogers High School, graduating in 1949.Earlier in her professional career, Estelle worked at the Newport Naval Base in the finance department. She later worked as a regional manager for the Sarah Coventry Jewelry Company and traveled extensively as a result of her sales success. As her children grew, Estelle was able to indulge her passion of reading and encouraging others to read by serving as a library assistant at Rogers High School. Always willing to lend a helping hand, she also found time to support Thornton when he retired from the Newport Police force and co-founded a building security business that managed contracts in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. After Thornton died and the business was sold, Estelle finished out her career at Rogers in the early 1990s and focused her efforts on charitable activities. Estelle was a member of the Order of Eastern Star?s Queen Esther Chapter and a member of the NAACP where she worked diligently on educational scholarships. She was a lifelong member of the former Mt. Olivet Baptist Church and was an active member of the Community Baptist Church, serving on many committees. She is survived by her daughters Victoria P. Drummond of Frederick, Maryland and Nancy A. Drummond of Chesapeake, Virginia, and her son Donald T. Drummond, M.D., of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida; her brothers William Gaines and Paul Gaines, both of Newport, and her sister Margaret Burton of Altadena, California; and four grandchildren, Jonathan M.D. Blizzard of Chesapeake, Virginia, Christina M. Berry of Omaha, Nebraska, and Paige B. Drummond and Anna T. Drummond, both of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. She was the sister of the late Albert P. Gaines, Sr. and Robert B. Gaines, Sr. Her memorial service will be held on Monday, February 26, 11:00 a.m., at Community Baptist Church, 50 Dr. Marcus Wheatland Boulevard, Newport. Memorial donations may be made to the Mora E. Hammonds Scholarship Fund at Community Baptist Church.