Marlene Janet Ingrao

Marlene Janet Wheatley Ingrao, aged 88, passed away peacefully at Williamsburg Hospice House on April 14, 2025. Marlene was born in Cahokia, Illinois and is preceded in death by her parents Willie Clinton Wheatley and Mildred Provow Wheatley, as well as her sisters Betty Collins and Nita Fry Meece. She is survived by her brother Jimmy Wayne Wheatley, her husband of 52 years Nicholas Ingrao, her son Chuck Taylor, his wife Mary, their daughters Sarah and Maggie Taylor, her daughter Cynndara Morgan, and her stepson Nicholas Ingrao II and his children John, Carly, Madison and his granddaughter Harper.
Born to a factory worker and school cafeteria lunch server, Marlene attended Washington University Saint Louis on full scholarship, graduating Suma Cum Laude with a Batchelor of Arts and later received a Master of Library Science from the University of Maryland. She was an elementary school teacher and librarian for over 25 years in Fairfax County Virginia. She retired to Williamsburg in 1992 where she took up writing; publishing a children's book, writing op-ed articles for the local paper, and capturing family history for her grandchildren. She loved history and good stories, managing to combine the two by volunteering as a tour guide at Colonial Williamsburg. While still able to walk the cobblestones, she delighted in giving the famous Colonial Williamsburg Ghost Tour. She will be greatly missed by her family but always remembered for her infectious laugh, her quick wit, and her boundless energy during the holidays.
A service in her honor will be held at Bucktrout Funeral Home on Saturday April 19th at 1:00.