Ingrid McMillan

Ingrid was born at Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on July 11, 1957, and raised in the nearby village of Killyleagh. After graduation, she worked in advertising for the Down Recorder and the Belfast Telegraph before becoming a flight attendant and a trainer for British Midlands Airways. Ingrid moved to Greensboro in 1981. Her daughter, Krystyn, was born in September 1984, and her son, Ryan, was born in October 1988.

Ingrid’s family will receive friends from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, March 25th, at the Hanes-Lineberry North Elm Street Chapel. A service celebrating her life will be held on Saturday, March 26th, at 1:00 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church on Friendly Avenue. Following the service, her family invites her friends to join them in Westminster Presbyterian’s fellowship hall for further celebration of her life. In her memory, dessert will be served.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. Such contributions may, if you choose, be designated for brain cancer research, and may be mailed to WFUBMC, Office of Development and Alumni Affairs, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1021.

Ingrid was a beautiful person, inside and out. She was, first and foremost, a wonderful mother. For Krystyn and Ryan, she was a “best friend” as well as a mom. Many of her children’s friends considered Ingrid both a friend and a second “Mom”.

Ingrid was a true and devoted friend and the best thing that ever happened to her husband, Brian. Her smile and laugh were contagious. She brought her life and spirit to every room she entered and to everyone she met. She delighted in making friends and visitors feel welcome and in making our home a lovely and inviting place. She was a wonderful cook and baker and had an amazing eye for home decoration, so much so that her friends regularly asked her help in their own projects.

The annual Christmas “Dessert Night” that Ingrid and Brian gave (well…over which Ingrid presided and that Brian attended) began as a tribute to honor Ingrid’s father Bertie and his love of sweets. “Dessert Night” perfectly combined Ingrid’s talents as a bakery chef, hostess and decorator. Each year, dozens of family members and friends, including friends of Krystyn’s and Ryan’s, were treated to a dazzling array of delicious desserts. All were made from scratch by Ingrid and beautifully displayed in a seasonal setting. Ingrid singlehandedly created this warm and welcoming “signature” holiday tradition that will long be remembered by anyone lucky enough to attend.

Ingrid was an active member of Westminster Presbyterian, serving as an elder and a member of the personnel committee, leading the church’s involvement in re-settling a group of “Lost Boys” from Sudan, and playing a central role in the development and growth of the church’s meal ministry, the Culinary Care Committee.

Ingrid was preceded in death by her father, William Herbert (“Bertie”) Dougan, and is survived by her mother, Emily Louisa (“Louie”) Dougan, her children Krystyn and Ryan, her husband Brian, her brother Colin Dougan, his wife Fiona and their children Kyle and Scott.