Anne R. Dorr Mello of Sutton, Vt., died peacefully on March 10. She was 87.

She was born in Boston in 1934 and lived many of her younger years with her grandmother there. She enrolled in hairdressing school when she picked up a part-time job at Filene’s. While working there during the Christmas holidays in 1955, she met Richard Mello, a handsome, dark-haired candy storeroom worker with unabashedly flirtatious charm. They married on Jan. 18, 1956, and made their home on Martha’s Vineyard, where Richard’s parents also lived.

Anne was a full-time mother during her child-rearing years, having many roles in the community, including den mother, PTO member, bowling league coordinator, and theatre mom, along with working part time jobs to help supplement the family income. For a time, she worked for Grace Church as the secretary, putting out the Sunday bulletin and helping with the annual Christmas pageant.

For 11 years, Anne and Richard owned and operated Edgartown Texaco, a successful service station, where many incredible memories were made. In the summer of 1974 Anne and five of her children were chosen to act in the movie Jaws.

In 1985 they moved to Sutton, Vt., where they enjoyed the beauty of the Northeast Kingdom, and cherished many happy times with family and friends. Anne was active in a basket guild, creating useful baskets with friends, usually giving them away to her family. She also became a Reiki master.

She and Richard created a wonderful, memorable, loving story in their 66 years together. Anne lived with grace, poise, determination, calm and as much love and laughter as she could draw in. She also could be a five-foot one-inch ball of fire.

In recent years she was in the habit of texting all seven of her adult children every Saturday morning with a sunny greeting.

In addition to her her loving husband, she is survived by her seven children: Richard (Rick) and his wife Sharon, of Falmouth; Patricia (Patti) Valenti and her husband Peter of Edgartown; Thomas (Tommy) of Vineyard Haven; Sharon Patoine and her husband David of Lyndonville, Vt; Lydia Mello of Sutton, Vt; John and his wife Carrie of Sutton, Vt; Jay of Danville, Vt; and daughter in law Beth Mello of Vineyard Haven. She is also survived by her brother in law, Frank Scheckton (her late sister Roberta’s husband) and his family of Galway, N.Y., and by Richard’s brother Joseph (Joe) Mello and his wife Joni, and their family, of Homer, Ak. She is survived also by her sisters’ children, and their children, who hold Anne dear in their hearts as well.

She was blessed with 22 grandchildren, Rick and his wife Bridget; Sarah and her husband Jeff, Michael and his wife Emilee, Brianna and her husband Drew, Andrew and his wife Leslie, Ethan and his wife Bri, Adam and his wife Colleen), Jason, Ryan, Angela, Gabe and his wife Katie, Jordan, Lucas, Stevie and Casey, Zach, Jacob, Chloe, Forrest, Ruby, Mikaela, Becca and John, Connor and Nicole; and 20 beautiful great-grandchildren.

True to who she was, and not wanting any formalities, there will be a private family celebration of life at a later date.

Donations can be made to a charity of choice.

Condolences, memories, and stories can be shared through Guibord-Pearson Funeral Home (www.guibordfh.com) or mailed to the Mello Family, 46 Fiddlehead Lane, Lyndonville, VT 05851.