August 24, 1972 – January 6, 2026
Jeffrey Scott Ingalls sadly left the fun much too early. Never one to miss out on making a grand entrance, Jeff made a quiet, if surprising, exit. Jeff died at home when his large and loving heart could no longer keep up with his spirit.
Jeff Ingalls was the oldest child and much-loved son (ok, the favourite son) of Susan Ingalls and Earle Ingalls, and the older brother of the often teased, and long-suffering only sister, Sarah Jane Karyuz, who laughingly endured Jeff’s good-natured jokes at her expense every birthday of her life. Don’t worry, she could give as good as she got.
Besides his parents and sister, Jeff is survived by his extremely patient and loving wife, also named Sarah Jane, who put up with his shenanigans for 30 years, as well as his three children, Hannah, Parker, and Lydia. Jeff had several nieces and nephews, Zelihan being his favourite one to antagonize. He is devastated to miss this summer’s wedding (Heather & Alex) and family tattooing (Molly).
Born in Fredericton on August 24, 1972, Jeff was, without a doubt, the cutest little boy the entire Ingalls and Wilcox clans had ever seen (none of the cousins can say a word, it’s in the obituary, so it’s true). Jeff attended school in Back Bay, then graduated from Fundy High without ever getting in trouble with the law except for the time he was escorted across the Harbour Bridge for taking the head of the Simonds mascot at a school hockey game. There was also that one incident when he was speeding and ran into a police car which had stopped another car for speeding, but thankfully, nothing came of that. With that behind him, Jeff then attended Maritime Christian College where he studied to be a minister and met the love of his life, Sarah Jane Wright.. For this, Hannah, Parker, and Lydia, are forever grateful for their existence and their inherited sense of humour.
Jeff and Sarah lived in Charlottetown when they were first married and welcomed their first two children who were half-islander and half come-from-away. A dubious distinction that surely caused them to move to Saint John, NB, in 2004. Lydia joined the clan in 2005. It was in Saint John that Jeff launched his career in IT working for Bell for the past 10 years.
While Jeff was a prankster, he was also an incredibly loving husband, father, son, and brother. He and his wife Sarah were an incredible team, raising three wonderful kids of whom Jeff was extremely proud. While Jeff’s mother Susan may have rolled his eyes at his jokes and said “oh Jeff!” in exasperation once a day, Jeff was always her little boy and he loved her dearly. Jeff’s dad, Earle was his earliest “artistic” influence and co-conspirator, with their Halloween antics scaring the bejeebus out of dozens of children in Mascarene and surrounding areas. He had exactly the right parents to grow into the kind of man who delivered Christmas gifts in an elf costume. He loved watching the kids play football, rugby, basketball and field hockey. He loved watching Jeopardy with Hannah and their many thought provoking conversations. He supported their decisions, even if he would have chosen differently and he did what he could to help them achieve their dreams. He also taught them, through his own example, to step up for people in need and to be dependable no matter what.
Jeff’s children and their friends knew they could count on him not just to chaperone a dance with a red flashing police light strapped to his head like a fez, or to show up in any number of costumes, or carrying instruments he barely knew how to play, but they knew they could count on him to be a friend. Jeff was kind. Jeff was safe.
Jeff was a Boy Scout with a terrible sense of direction. Getting lost in the vastness of Rockwood Park while geocaching put an end to that activity. He was a volunteer fire fighter, he fed salmon, he was a “lord of the land”, experienced wrecker of cars, Christmas cookie baker, tech wizard, shenaniganer, sports fan, bad golfer, orderer of groceries, burger flipper, youth leader, unpaid bouncer, chaperone, Christmas Elf and lastly a royal PITA.
Jeff was beloved by family and friends and importantly their RiverCross church community where he and Sarah have made a concerted effort to look after their neighbours as themselves.
Jeff would be quite upset to miss out on seeing everyone at his funeral. Never one to shy away from a conversation with folks he hadn’t seen in a while nor to miss a buffet table, he’d want as many of you as possible to attend and to help put the Fun in funeral. Not just for himself but for his family. If you can, share a memory, share a photo, share some laughter as we remember a man who was larger than life and who would have embraced each of you in a big hug as he made some inappropriate joke about his death.
Arrangements are under the care and direction of Brenan’s Funeral Home, 111 Paradise Row, Saint John, NB, (506-634-7424). A Funeral Service will be held from RiverCross Church on Monday, January 12, 2026, at 2:00 PM, with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family would request donations to the St. George Food Bank or RiverCross Church Capital Campaign.
