GILMANTON --- Ellen Lockhart, 86, of Gilmanton, New Hampshire, passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 3, 2026, surrounded by her family.
Ellen was a woman of extraordinary warmth and kindness, with a heart big enough to welcome everyone she met. She had a gift for turning strangers into friends, and her infectious laugh could brighten even the darkest day. Above all, she cherished her family, who were the center of her world and the source of her greatest joy.
She found happiness in life's simple pleasures-tending her garden, getting lost in a good book, and showing her love through cooking and baking for those she cared about. She also enjoyed puzzles and took great pride in being a devoted and loving pet parent. Ellen loved traveling, creating cherished memories on trips with her daughters and grandchildren. Earlier in life, she took great pride and joy in managing a hotel alongside her first husband, Dale, a role that reflected her love of connecting with others.
Ellen was predeceased by her granddaughter, Jean Marie Lockhart, in 1999, beloved first husband and soulmate, Dale Lockhart, in 2001, her daughter, Deborah Roy, in 2003, and later by her second husband, Richard Dollen, in 2024. Ellen and Richard spent 16 loving years together.
She is survived by her four daughters and their husbands: Barbara and Kevin Guerrier, of Gilmanton, NH, Linda Lockhart and her companion Dwayne Keene, of Shirley, MA, Jennifer Brown and her partner Gary Webster, of Salisbury, MA, and Kim and Keith Turgeon, of Nottingham, NH. She is also survived by her stepdaughters, Cheryl Woodyard and her husband Paul, of Seabrook, NH, and Melissa Lariviere and her husband Jim, of Merrimac, MA; sisters Becky Wright, of GA, Debbie Rogers, of FL, and Ann Jewel, of MA; grandchildren Tammy Montoya, Tina Limeburner, Dwayne Lockhart, John Lockhart, Katy-Lynn Demars, Jillian Hussey, Bree Turgeon, Keith Turgeon, and Gabrielle St. Hilaire; 12 great grandchildren; three great-great grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Her love for her family was unwavering, and her presence will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, May 16, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at Joy Church, 55 Barnstead Rd., Pittsfield, NH.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made in Ellen's memory to the New Hampshire SPCA, PO Box 196, 104 Portsmouth Avenue, Stratham, NH 03885, or Annie's Angels of New Hampshire, online at https://mygivmo.com/causes/Annies/donate, honoring her lifelong love for people and animals.
Ellen's legacy of love, laughter, and kindness will live on in the hearts of her family and friends forever.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services/603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, NH, 03246, is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, please visit wilkinsonbeane.com.