From: Amy [gazettecomposing@earthlink.net]
Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2005 6:07 PM
To: jhakesley@comcast.net
Subject: this is the Ashe obituary and also a article that will be running in the gazette about him thought you would like both!

Craig B. Ashe, of Breezewood, died June 25, 2005, at the home of his father-in-law in Arcadia, Michigan. He was born May 10, 1946 in Lewiston, Maine. He married Lynn Cutler February 14, 1977 in the Washington National Cathedral in D.C. He is survived by his wife; by sisters Barbara Whitmill, Regina Murphy, Daurie McIntosh and Wendy Sparry; by many nieces and nephews; and by honorary grandson Will Prescott. He attended the University of Maine in Bangor, ME, American University in Washington DC, George Mason University in Fairfax VA.

He joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1964 and was assigned to the Special Security Detail to the Vietnam Peace Talks at the U.S. Embassy in Paris 1966-68. He worked for the FBI in 1969, transferred to the U.S. Secret Service in 1970, and retired in 1990 as Officer-in-Charge of the Special Operations Section of the Uniformed Division. He was co-owner of Chez Brown West Restaurant in Washington, D.C. 1976-78. In 1990 he and Lynn retired and moved to Bedford County, establishing Ashe Antiques and Collectibles in 1994.

Craig lived the Rotary motto "Service above self." At various times he was president of the Bedford Rotary Club, the Bedford Area Ambulance Service Board of Directors, and the Youth Achievement Association Board of Directors. He was once a Division Leader for Bedford County United Way. He was an Eagle Scout, a scoutmaster for 12 years in Paris and Arlington, VA, and co-chaired the Annual Sustaining Members banquets in Bedford. He helped establish and served as the first Senior Advisor of Emergency Medical Service Explorer Post 491. He had served on the Board of Directors of the Breezewood Municipal Authority since 1999, was Republican committeeman for E. Providence Township 1992­2004, and vice president of the Bedford County Republican Boosters Club 1994-95.

He was affiliated with the U.S. Secret Service Retirement Association, Pennsylvania Sheriffs Association, Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, American Legion Post #8, Marine Corps League and was an honorary member of the White House Military Aides Society.

He loved his adopted community and devoted his time and energy to serving it. He was the voice on the radio reading kids' letters to Santa, the hospice volunteer who took a dying man for drives in the country, the coordinator of Rotary's program to provide Christmas gifts for clients of Your Safe Haven. He was a gourmet cook who prepared food for many Arts Council events and once made dinner for 200 for an American Cancer Society fundraiser. He wore two hats for the Red Cross ‹as a member of the Disaster Team, he helped families who'd lost their homes to flood or fire, and he volunteered at the Everett Food Pantry. Craig treated everyone with fairness, patience and compassion. He had an open mind for every point of view and could disagree without being disagreeable. And he had a glorious sense of humor.

The Bedford and Sunrise Rotary clubs are joining forces to create a Craig B. Ashe Memorial Park along the river east of the Narrows. Those who would like to help make this dream a reality are invited to send donations to the Craig B. Ashe Memorial Fund, First Commonwealth Bank, 9503 Lincoln Highway, Bedford PA 15522. Funds not needed for the park will be used for a Craig B. Ashe scholarship in the Rotary Foundation.

Friends are invited to stop by the home of Skip and Marilyn Allen, 909 Juliana Street, 7-9 p.m. Sunday, July 17, to share memories of Craig and celebrate his life.

By Sharyn Maust
Gazette Managing Editor

Many individuals and organizations around the county were stunned over the weekend by the untimely death of Craig Ashe of Breezewood. Ashe, 59, passed away Saturday in his sleep while he and his wife, Lynn, were visiting her family in Michigan. The Ashes have lived in Bedford County since 1990, moving here when they retired from jobs in Washington. Craig served with the U.S. Secret Service for 20 years; the last 15 of those were at the White House during the tenures of presidents Nixon through George H.W. Bush. Lynn worked for the Central Intelligence Agency.

It wasn't those positions that took priority this week; it was the array of organizations and activities that both the Ashes have devoted their energy to, and the loss their friends felt. The Ashes were selected by Bedford Rotary Club as Citizen of the Year in 1997 and Craig was the Bedford Elks Citizen of the Year in 1998. He was one of a number of Republicans in the race for Bedford County Commissioner in 1995.

Only some of the other organizations he has played key roles in were the Bedford Area Ambulance board of directors, a volunteer with the Home Nursing Agency's hospice, Everett Area High School Renaissance Foundation, Bedford County Arts Council, Bedford County United Way, Breezewood Municipal Authority, Marine Corps League, American Cancer Society and the American Red Cross Disaster Service. Many, like the Red Cross and the arts council, were joint ventures with his wife.

"As I said in a prayer tonight (at the Rotary meeting), Craig always had his hand out ... his hand out to help someone," said the Rev. Dr. M. Edgar Datesman. "Everything he did was to give; he was not one to take."
Another who knew him in Rotary, Garry Goss, said Ashe "showed us how to be better citizens, to help people wherever he saw a need." He added that Ashe "pulled you into projects and gave you confidence that you could do things." Goss related some examples. He said Ashe arrived at Rotary before Christmas with lists of wishes from families that were in need; he passed around the lists and gathered the gifts. For the club, Ashe started the paperwork and organized a second Rotary for Bedford when members said they had conflicts with the evening meetings. "It was something we'd talked about for years but did nothing," Goss said. There is now a Sunrise Rotary that meets in the mornings, and instead of 35 Rotarians there are double that number. Ashe currently was assistant district governor of Rotary, which involves overseeing six clubs. Goss said that if he could draw any comfort, "it's maybe that he has done his job and it is our turn to step up."

Robert D. Sweet, who served as Ashe's campaign manager 10 years ago, said running for office is tough for someone not from the area, "but he had conservative principles and wanted to make the county better. He was always open to working for the community."

James W.F. Allen of Bedford said he has known Ashe since they worked together at the White House. "He was a mentor," Allen said. He added that Ashe "dragged me up here, and had an agenda of things for me to get involved in." Allen made the comment at a meeting of the arts council board of trustees on which he now serves.

Elaine Housel, another board member, said the Ashes "were the backbone of the council," and others agreed that the arts center wouldn't be what it is without them. Craig often did repairs and upgrades to the Anderson House and cooked the food for arts center's receptions.

Lynn Hocker of Bedford said he knew of Ashe's many involvements, but it wasn't until his own father was dying that he by chance met Ashe counseling a hospice family. "The sheer magnitude of the types of things he undertook was breathtaking," Hocker said. He added that "it must say something about our area, too, because they loved it and chose it to be their home."

Barb Taylor, executive director of the Southern Alleghenies Chapter of the American Red Cross, said Ashe's death was a tremendous loss to her organization. "With a disaster volunteer you need someone who is calm and has a clear head ... someone who can walk in and make calm out of chaos. Craig always rose to the challenge and he treated the victims of disaster with respect and dignity," she said. Taylor noted that the Ashes also worked more than two weeks straight after the flooding last September, offering assistance to the other emergency workers not just the victims. "Red Cross is volunteer-driven and you really need leadership volunteers. Craig was a tremendous spokesperson for our organization and many others; he reached out to the community to get it to share its support of all non-profits," Taylor added.

Wayne Prescott, of the United Way and the arts council, said he felt that if Ashe would want to be remembered for anything, "it would be for the devotion the Ashes have for each other."

No funeral is planned for Ashe. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.