Raymond Terry Ashley

Raymond Terry Ashley, born on August 5, 1937, in Checotah, Oklahoma, to Jewel Martin and Charles Vernon Ashley, passed away peacefully in his sleep on October 29, 2026, just in time to join his late wife for their anniversary and her birthday.

Raised in Oklahoma, Ray graduated from Okmulgee High School before attending Oklahoma State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. He met the love of his life, Sharon Ann Batterton, in high school but wasn’t able to sweep her off her feet until his college years. The two were married and embarked on a devoted 60-year adventure built on love and family.

Ray’s career as a mechanical engineer took him and Sharon across the country, with stops in Sweetwater, Texas; Burlington, Iowa; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Seattle, Washington; St. Louis, Missouri; and Lakewood, Colorado. Over the course of his engineering career, Ray contributed to several significant projects, including the historic Apollo 11 moon landing mission and the Boeing 747.

He then traded the drafting board for a cutting board and took on a management role for the iconic Casa Bonita restaurant in Colorado, enjoying this career stop for a few years before embarking on his true calling.

Ray and Sharon moved to Cedar Hill, Texas, and established Ashleys Private School on Beltline Road in 1979. The final adventure turned the cutting board into a chalkboard and for nearly four decades, Ray served as the Owner, Operator, and Director alongside Sharon, providing generations of children with a quality education rooted in Christian values.

In his retirement, Ray enjoyed spending time at their cabins in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, creating cherished memories surrounded by nature and family. On November 5, 2020, Ray and Sharon celebrated six decades of marriage shortly before Sharon’s passing in January 2021.

Ray was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Sharon Ann Ashley; his parents, Jewel and Vernon Ashley; and his sister, Doris Charlene Ashley. He is survived by his sister, Joan Lowe; his loving daughters, Pamelia Shawn Ashley and Susan Michelle Emmert; his son-in-law, Wade Emmert; his grandsons, John Walker Emmert and James Will Emmert; and nephew, Brent Lowe many cousins and extended family and friends. Each of them held a special place in Ray’s heart, and nothing made him happier than time spent with family, especially his grandsons.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to a cause close to your heart in memory of Mr. “Ray-Ray” Ashley. Our dad believed deeply in the power of generosity—reminding us always that even the smallest gifts make a meaningful difference.

-Shawn & Michelle