Bettina "Tina" Mead, 76, of Panama City, FL, passed away on Friday, January 10, 2025. Born on February 17, 1948, in El Paso, TX, to Edward and Elizabeth Mead, Bettina moved with her family to Albuquerque, NM, during her childhood and was raised there. She graduated from Rio Grande High School in Albuquerque and later relocated to Panama City, FL, to care for her maternal grandparents.

Bettina's career began at Smith's department store in downtown Panama City, where she excelled in Buying and Merchandising. Collaborating with local northwest Florida artist Diana Barnes, she founded Bettina Mead and Associates to sell and license Diana's artwork, traveling to textile and furniture markets in New York City, Dallas, Atlanta, and Miami. She later became the Director of Marketing for Panama City artist Paul Brent before moving to Coronado, CA, where she worked at the Hotel Del Coronado. At the Hotel Del, she advanced from Corporate Gift Coordinator to Vice President of Retail.

After several years in California, Bettina returned to Panama City and joined the Bay County Public Library as the Community Relations Coordinator, among other roles, until her retirement. She was the driving force behind Books Alive!, a successful annual book festival in northwest Florida, which brought national best-selling authors to Panama City.

Bettina will be remembered for her kindness, thoughtfulness, grit, immense love for family and friends, passion for helping others, optimism, smile, curiosity, love of nature and animals, and her cooking. She was preceded in death by her parents, sisters Rosilin Mead and Louisa Mead Ellis, and grandson Richard Jennings Youd. She is survived by her husband, Samuel Farrill; son, Kevin Youd; daughter, Michele Youd; son-in-law, Douglas Dahl; three grandchildren, Ella Catherine Youd, Gwenyth Dahl, and Charlotte Dahl; and nieces and nephews, Alysa Smith, Romni Rossi, Ryan Salinas, and Ian Salinas.

We warmly invite you to a Celebration of Life at Alice's Restaurant, located at 1000 Bayview Avenue, Panama City, FL. Join us on Sunday, June 29th, 2025, from 3:00 to 5:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Gulf Coast Children's Advocacy Center, 210 E 11th St, Panama City, FL 32401, in memory of Bettina Mead.

www.wilsonfuneralhome.net