Nancy Unger McCord; Publisher, Developer of Literacy Books

Nancy Unger McCord, 56, publisher and developer of adult literacy books. Born in Middletown, N.Y., on Christmas Day, she grew up in New York City and was educated at Smith College. In her publishing career, she rose from researcher at Harcourt Brace Jovanovich in New York, to associate editor at John Wiley and Sons, to founder and vice president of the North American subsidiary of Italy’s Scala Fine Arts Publishers. She volunteered her services to several nonprofit organizations, including Literacy Volunteers of New York City. She served as the literacy group’s president and then as creator and developer of its publishing division. The work included excerpting and adapting popular books by Maya Angelou, Ray Bradbury, Tom Wolfe and others to make them readable by newly literate adults. She wrote and edited materials throughout her long career, especially articles and books about gardens. On Friday in New York City of cancer.