ACTON – Dolores E. Ingalls, 81, of Acton passed away peacefully, surrounded by loving family at her side on Oct. 13, 2021 at Southern Maine Health Care in Biddeford. She fought a courageous battle against Leukemia.

Dolores was born in Nyack, N.Y. on June 18, 1940. She was the daughter of the late John and Jennie (DeMario) Mellozzo and stepmom Florence Mellozzo. She was preceded in death by her loving husband Edward W. Ingalls Sr. on Dec. 28, 2012.

She attended Nyack High School graduating in 1958. The following year on June 27, 1959 she married Edward Ingalls at Saint Ann’s Catholic Church in Nyack. In 1967, the family moved to Milton Mills and in the early 1970s they moved to Acton to continue to raise their family.

Dolores is survived by her son, Christopher Ingalls and his wife, Judy Elderkin of Brownfield, daughter, Karen O’Connor and her husband, Kevin of Wakefield, N.H., and son, Edward Ingalls Jr. and his wife, Brenda of Acton. Dolores is grandmother to Heather (Enos) Iosua, Daniel O’Connor, Kathleen (O’Connor) Ruiz, Brandon Ingalls, and Katarina Ingalls. Dolores is great-grandmother to Aurora Iosua and Kyla Ruiz. She is also survived by siblings Loretta Banks of Milton Mills, N.H., Patricia Breeden of New Hampshire, James Mellozzo of New Jersey, John Mellozzo of New York, Joan Gleason of New York; and many nieces and nephews.

Dolores was always known for being a hardworking woman with a strong work ethic. Her work experience consisted of Woolworths and Grandway in New York, Greene Tanning and Cabletron in New Hampshire, Sprague Electric, Romac Apple Packing, and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine.

Dolores enjoyed gardening, preserving food, sewing, making quilts and cooking from scratch.

She looked forward to seeing her friends at Birthday Girls and Homemakers Craft Club. With her husband Ed, she enjoyed touring the country with the Maine Retreads Motorcycle Group and the Goldwing Road Riders and line dancing.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday Oct. 23, with a celebration of life by nephew Stanley D. Banks officiating. Services will be held at the Carll-Heald and Black Funeral Home, 580 Main St., Springvale. Visitation will take place from 9 to 11 a.m. prior to the funeral. Burial will follow at the Milton Mills Cemetery. A reception will follow at the Acton Town Hall.

Arrangements are under the direction of Black Funeral Homes and Cremation Service, Sanford-Springvale.

Condolences may be expressed at http://www.blackfuneralhomes.com.

Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider donations in her memory to the

Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at

Maine Medical Center,

c/o Development Dept.

22 Bramhall St.,

Portland, ME 04012