Dr. Patrick F. Ashley of Wilmington, Delaware died on Sunday, August 16, 2009. He was born December 21, 1926 in St. John’s Newfoundland, Canada, the sixth child of William and Mary Ashley. He was a graduate of The Memorial University of Newfoundland and received his M.D. degree from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He practiced medicine in Newfoundland for four years and served as secretary of the Newfoundland Medical Association and the St. John’s Clinical Society. He was also a Lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps.
He moved to Delaware with his wife Adele Lorraine Ashley in 1954. Following a four-year residency at the Memorial and Delaware hospitals, he received certification from the American Board of Pathology. He was a past Director of the Department of Pathology at the Medical Center of Delaware, and was a past President of the Delaware Clinical and Laboratory Physicians, Inc. He also served as president of the Delaware Pathology Society, and also as president of the Delaware Division of the American Cancer Society. He was a fellow of both the American Society of Clinical Pathologists and the College of American Pathologists. He was responsible for the introduction of the first automatic clinical chemical analyzer in Delaware at the Memorial Hospital in 1959. He was a life member of the Delaware Medical Society and the Delaware Academy of Medicine.
Dr. Ashley was an early anti-smoking educator and advocate. In a letter to The Morning News in 1978, at a time when he was hospitalized for surgery, he chastised the hospital for allowing patients and employees to smoke in the hospital citing tobacco’s numerous health risks. He also criticized the Fire Marshal for allowing smoking in the hospital, saying that this policy was putting him and other patients at risk in the event of a smoking related fire. Not long afterwards, the hospitals in Wilmington adopted a non-smoking policy.
Poppy was an avid tennis and squash player, skier, gardener, and a patron of the arts. He traveled around the world but had a special fondness for Rangeley, Maine where he hiked and boated with his children and grandchildren every summer over the last forty years. It was his tradition to declare at the top of every mountain he climbed “It’s good to be alive!” In his retirement he kept active in medical affairs and served on the Board on Professional Responsibility of the Delaware Supreme Court. He was a member of Wilmington Country Club and served on its membership committee.
Poppy was a devoted and loving husband to his wife of 55 years, affectionately known as “Lolly”. He became a tireless and compassionate caregiver when she developed Parkinson’s disease twenty years ago. He was a proud and loving father and grandfather who relished family gatherings and activities. Following and attending all his children’s and grandchildren’s sporting events and school activities brought him tremendous joy. An unabashed singer and dancer with a love for music, he entertained friends, family, and caregivers with his colorful ditties and songs from Newfoundland.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughter, Dr. Adele Ashley-Axon and husband Dr. David Axon of Wilmington, Delaware; his son Dr. Robert A. Ashley and wife Dr. Anne Hayton of North Yarmouth, Maine; his son Patrick M. Ashley and wife Ann Barlow Ashley; his daughter Lisa M. Ashley; and his son Michael W. Ashley and wife Deborah Marine Ashley, all of Wilmington, Delaware. He is also survived by twelve grandchildren; Hillary, Shannon and Molly Axon; Emily Makynen; Blakely and Patrick “Trip” Ashley; Alexandra and Stefan Thomas; and Lillie, Samuel, Hutton, and Benjamin Ashley.
The Ashley family would like to thank the staff at Stonegates for their loving care of Poppy. Funeral services and burial will be private. Friends may join the family at the Wilmington Country Club for a reception in honor of Dr. Ashley on Sunday, August 23, 2009 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the Rangeley Public Library, 7 Lake Street, P.O. Box 1150, Rangeley, ME 04970.
Arrangements by CHANDLER FUNERAL HOMES & CREMATORY
www.chandlerfuneralhome.com