SPRINGVALE — Albert J. Ashley, musician, writer and loving father of five, passed away on Monday, Oct. 27, 2014, at the age of 78.
Mr. Ashley was born in Bristol, Connecticut on July 2, 1936, to Albert J. Ashley II and Margaret Irene Ashley.
He grew up in the hamlet of Pequabuck, in the town of Terryville, and graduated from Terryville High School in 1954.
Mr. Ashley went on to Nasson College in Springvale, where he graduated with a degree in public relations and advertising in 1958. While at Nasson, he served in the Marine Corps Reserve and met and courted Anna Murphy-St. Amand. They married in May of 1959.
During his years in Springvale, he formed an enduring bond with southern Maine, a place he cherished and lived most of his life.
After college, Mr. Ashley joined the Navy and served aboard the USS Evergreen in Norfolk, Virginia. When his term in the Navy concluded, he and Anna moved to New York City, where he worked for Triumph motor company as advertising executive.
In 1965, Mr. Ashley returned to Maine and worked in public relations for Nasson College, the University of New Hampshire and Maine Medical Center, among others. In 1971, Mr. Ashley and Alan Jasper formed Ashley Jasper Associates, a public relations firm in Kennebunk. By 1976, Mr. Ashley had established his own firm, Ashley Public Relations. He represented a variety clients, with a focus on automotive suppliers.
Mr. Ashley loved the outdoors and shared that love with his family, whether it was hunting or hiking in the fall, skiing in the winter, or biking and exploring the coast of Maine in the summer.
After retiring from advertising, Mr. Ashley focused on his lifelong passions: music and writing. He wrote fiction and autobiographical stories until his last days. He sang and played several instruments, and performed with The Portland Symphony Orchestra, blue grass bands and with his friends and brother, Paul. He was happiest when he was performing.
He is survived by: his sister, Joyce of Terryville, Connecticut; his brother, Paul, of Plymouth, Massachusetts; his children, David and Karen Ashley of Eliot, Dan and Laura Ashley of Fairfax, Virginia, Michael Ashley and Richard Tucker of Brooklyn, New York, Mary Ashley and Brad Wieners of Nyack, New York, and James and Kirsten Ashley of Marstons Mills, Massachusetts.
He was proud of his 12 grandchildren: Rick, Ashley, Marisa, Meredith, Theodore, Gabriel, Ella, Kaiyn, Rowen, Nate, Gus and Silas.
A memorial service with military honors will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 8 at Carll-Heald & Black Funeral Home, located at 580 Main St., Springvale. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Diabetes Association, online at www.diabetes.org. Arrangements are under the direction of Black Funeral Homes and Cremation Services, Sanford-Springvale. To leave a message of condolence for the family, visit www.blackfuneralhomes.com.
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