Barbara F Qaissaumee's Obituary
Dover, Barbara Qaissaunee, 76, died March 9, 2015 at her home with family.
Mrs. Qaissaunee was born Oct. 9, 1939 in Richmond, VA the daughter of the late Rev. Emmett Rives and Lucy Mabel Elliott Ferguson. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 39 years Dr. Abdul G. Qaissaunee in Feb. 2001.
She was employed as a professional librarian at the William C. Jason Library-Learning Center, Delaware State University beginning in Sept. 1975, as Head Cataloger, and from 1988 as Coordinator of Technical services, until her retirement in 2004.
Mrs. Qaissaunee most enjoyed spending time with her family, especially her husband until he passed away, and her children and grandchildren. She also enjoyed traveling, reading and doing puzzles. She had been for many years a member of the American Library Association, the Delaware Library Association, and the Delaware Valley Chapter of the Association of College and Research Libraries. She was a member of the Friends of Dover Public Library, and had been board member and treasure of the Friends of Delaware Libraries. She was also on the Planning and Exhibitors Committee for the First Annual Delaware Book Festival in Nov. 2006.
Mrs. Qaissaunee learned to read at the age of three and began school in 2nd grade in Arvonia, VA when she was five years old. She continued her elementary education in Madison, VA and graduated from Louisa County High School, Mineral VA in 1956 as valedictorian. She was a member of the National Honor Society.
She received an academic scholarship to Westhampton College at the University of Richmond, where she worked in the Westhampton College Reading Room. Graduating with a B.A. in History in 1960, she received her Master's Degree in Library Science from the University of Illinois, Urbana, in May 1961. She was a member of the history and library science honorary fraternities.
She met Abdul Qaissaunee of Herat, Afghanistan at the University of Illinois, and they were married in Nov. 1961. She worked as a cataloger at the Boatwright Memorial Library at the University of Richmond from Oct. 1961 until she left to join her husband in Afghanistan in Sept. 1962. They lived in Kabul, Afghanistan, until Dec. 1970. While there, she was employed as Library Advisor with the United States Agency for International Development/Afghanistan working with Southern Illinois University at the Afghan Institute of Technology, Teacher's College Columbia University at the Teachers Training High School and at the Institute of Education, and at Kabul University.
Upon their return to the United States, Mrs. Qaissaunee was employed as Reference Librarian at the University of Cincinnati in 1971, Librarian at the Cape Charles School District, Cape Charles, VA from 1972-1974, and Librarian, Sussex Vocational-Technical High School in 1975.
She is survived by a daughter and son in law, Jamila and Donald Riser of Felton, two sons and a daughter in law, Michael and Laura Qaissaunee of Union, NJ, and Shawn and Sharon Qaissaunee of Wilmington, grandchildren, David Michael and Danielle Marie Riser of Felton, and Haley Ann Qaissaunee of Union, NJ.
Services will be private.
Letters of condolences may be sent to www.traderfh.com
Trader Funeral Home Dover, DE
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