Ingrid E. Hellgren, 65

April 26, 1958 – January 6, 2024

Ingrid Elizabeth Hellgren, 65, spent the summers of her childhood on Converse Road in Marion with her late grandparents, Harry and Thelma Kramer Ostenfeld; and lived there most recently from 2011 through 2013. The youngest child of the late Tage and Beryl Ostenfeld Hellgren, Ingrid was born in the Poconos of Pennsylvania and lived there for 26 years. She passed away suddenly in Port Charlotte, Florida leaving a void in many hearts.

Ingrid loved Silvershell Beach! It was the first place she wanted to go when she arrived on Converse Road as a child, and her favorite place to relax, read, and think as an adult. Like her grandmother Thelma, a pianist and music teacher, Ingrid loved music, learning several instruments, and attending as many live music events as possible throughout her life, including Friday night band concerts. She also loved to spend time with Gilda at the Stone Rooster, helping with preparations for the regular jazz nights in the summer.

An excellent and very creative cook and baker, Ingrid loved making special things for neighbors and friends, and always kept them laughing with her quirky sense of humor. Along with music and baking, Ingrid loved animals, especially elephants and ponies, though she never had one of her own. However, while a teenager in Pennsylvania, she worked at a wild animal farm where she cared for many exotics including Boa Constrictors, Tarantulas, and a Siberian tiger. Her own pets also included spiders and snakes, as well as a raccoon, squirrel, and many cats. Her beloved dogs, Hooligan, a Jack Russell and Kona, a Golden Lab, loved exploring Washburn Park in the summer, and running along Silvershell in the winter.

Ingrid is survived by her partner, Chuck Trites of Port Charlotte; her children, Carmine P. Crudele (Jennifer) of Plantation and Britt A. Crudele (Tyler Auner) of Tamarac, both in Florida; her sisters, Tonie Y. Waters of Inverness, FL and Janne Hellgren (Jack Boesen) of Marion, and her brother, Peter B. Hellgren of Stroudsburg. She is also survived by her nephews, Christian P. Waters of Cadillac, MI, and Erik L. Waters of Inverness; maternal cousins, Kenneth and Michael Grieve and Kat Gray and their families in Michigan; and her paternal uncle Ebbe Hellgren and cousins Jorgen and Ariel Hellgren and their families in Sweden. She was predeceased by her sister, Christa R. Hellgren, and by her aunt, Joan Ostenfeld Grieve (Tabor ’54).

A Celebration of Life will be held on her birthday on Ft. Myers Beach in Florida. Rememberances would be greatly appreciated to a food bank or an animal rescue facility.