Roy E. Ashley

March 7, 1942 - January 29, 2012

Benton Township – Roy E. Ashley, 69, of Benton Township, passed away early on Sunday, January 29, 2012, at Lakeland Regional Medical Center in St. Joseph. Funeral services celebrating his life will be at 7:00 P.M., on Thursday, February 2, 2012, at the Dey-Florin Funeral Home, 2506 Niles Ave., in St. Joseph, with Pastor Billy Long officiating. Burial will be private at Millburg Cemetery in Benton Township. Visitation will be held from 5:00 until the time of the service, Thursday, at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice of Lakeland. Messages of condolence may be made to www.florin.net. Roy was born on March 7, 1942, in Batesville, Arkansas, to Oscar and Lorraine Ashley. He married Victoria White on September 29, 1984. He had four children. Roy worked as an industrial welder at Amhawk LLC in Coloma for 32 years. He enjoyed fishing, motorcycles, keeping up his yard, and working in his garage. Roy will be remembered as a man who “loved life to the fullest” and who “always put others before himself.” Additionally, he will be remembered as a loving and caring person and a wonderful husband, father, and grandfather. Roy is survived by his wife Victoria; children, Bonnie Ashley, Oscar “Peanut” Ashley, and Randy (Stefany) Ashley of South Bend; grandchildren, Susan K. Schultz, Lucas Ashley, Haley Perez, Joshua Ashley, Christopher Ashley , and Julie Ashley; seven great-grandchildren; special nephew, William Ashley; and by his special nieces, Laura Fogarty and Donna Ashley. In addition to his parents, Roy was preceded in death by his son, Terry in 1998; and by his brother, William Oscar Ashley in 2007.