Elena V. (Ryder)

Elena V. (Ryder) Mace, 99, of Bristol, passed into the arms of her Lord on September 28, 2025, at Ingraham Manor where she resided for the past three years. Born in Greenville, Maine, on May 10, 1926, she was the daughter of the late James F. and Isabelle (MacEachern) Ryder. She was a graduate of Greenville High School, Class of 1944 and began her career at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, East Hartford, CT, in '44 where she met her life-long love, Donald Mace. They married in 1945 and shared 62 years together. Elena was a member of Bristol Baptist Church (Bridge Community) where she was lovingly known by many of the children of the nursery as "Macey". She was a 30+ year volunteer at the Bristol Hospital and the American Red Cross. Her church family and Camp Wightman were vital in her life and she made many lifetime friends. Elena and Donald raised a family of five and enjoyed retirement travel to Scotland, across the mainland U.S., Canada and Alaska. She was a member of the Red Hat Society at Ingraham Manor. Elena was known for her gift of gab and loved spending time with her family, especially with her grandsons, attending baseball games, cross country meets and playing monopoly. She will be greatly missed by her son, Mark W. Mace of Carbondale, CO; son-in-law, Lans M. Anderson of Berlin, CT; daughter, Donne (Craig) Shepperly of Drums, PA; son, Douglas C. Mace of Casselberry, FL; and son, Jonathan C. (Debra) Mace of Bristol; her grandsons, Eric L. (Elise) Anderson of Solon, ME, Lt. Ian A. Mace of Niceville, FL and Cameron R. Mace of Chandler, AZ; as well as many nieces and nephews. Along with her parents, Elena was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Donald and her daughter, Janis M. Anderson; her brother, Bruce H. Ryder and sisters, Zelma Stevens and Dagmar Greenleaf and their spouses. The family thanks the nurses, aides and entire staff of Ingraham Manor for their loving care. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date at Dupont Funeral Home in Bristol. Given the loss of her daughter, Janis, to Alzheimer's disease in 2020, memorial donations may be made to Alzheimer's Disease Research, P.O. Box 1950, Clarksburg, MD 20871-1950 or to Camp Wightman, 207 Coal Pit Hill Road, Griswold, CT 06351