Elizabeth Ashley Blue

Elizabeth was born to Joseph Lamberth Ashley and Myra Smith Ashley on March 12, 1928, in New Bern, North Carolina. She was raised in Vanceboro, North Carolina, where she attended both primary and secondary school at Farm Life School. She graduated in 1944 and was her class’s valedictorian. After graduation, Elizabeth attended Greensboro College for one year and then attended Duke University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and graduated in 1948.

Liz married Victor Blue Jr. on April 8, 1950. They were married for 57 years until Victor’s passing in 2008. They lived a major part of their married life in Arlington, Virginia, where Elizabeth was a teacher in the Arlington County Public Schools and at the Family Center. In 1997, they moved to Houston, Texas to be closer to their grandchildren.

She is survived by her sons Neill Ashley Blue (Rosemary Blum Blue) of Oakton, VA. and Victor Stuart Blue (Lynn Baltimore Blue) of Crossville, TN. She is also survived by her daughters Laura Blue Hirtz (Kenneth C. Hirtz) of Daytona Beach, FL. and Carla Blue Brownstein (Bobby M. Brownstein) of Houston, TX. She leaves behind two grandsons, Daniel Ashley Brownstein (Yahda Daniels Brownstein) of La Porte, IN and Jackson Benjamin Blue Brownstein (Lyndsay McMullen Brownstein) of Galion, OH.

Elizabeth was a gifted writer, often expressing herself with incredible wit and candor. She was a master gardener, a cat lover, and enjoyed antiquing and collecting Pre- WWII Japanese pottery and figurines.

After losing much of her eyesight, Liz became fond of listening to podcasts and non-fiction books on Audible. She also thoroughly enjoyed listening to music from the 1940s and 1950s. She recalled the lyrics to most tunes and loved to sing along and tap her toes to her favorites.

A celebration of Elizabeth’s life will be held later this spring, her favorite season. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, a donation be made to the Houston Food Bank or to the Houston SPCA. The family would also like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the nurses and aides at Vitas Hospice who provided tender loving care and kindness to Elizabeth until the end of her journey. They would also like to thank Josetta (Josie) McCain for her love and long-standing devotion to Liz as her caretaker.