Mary Ashmead, age 88, traveled the last of many journeys to finally be with her husband Richard in heaven. She died in Bedford, Texas May 17, 2014. Mary was born the 7th of 10 children in Van Alstyne, Texas on December 1, 1925. Her family moved to Littlefield, Texas in 1929 but the Dust Bowl forced them back to North Texas in 1931. After the death of her father the family moved to Pueblo, Colorado in 1939 where she attended Central High school and began working.After World War Two she grew restless and moved to Los Angeles where she met her husband, Richard Ashmead. They were married in 1952; Richard died in 1957, and Mary and her 2 boys moved to Dallas to be closer to family. She graduated from SMU in 1963 and began teaching elementary school at St. Bernard’s Catholic School and then at Freeman Elementary in Garland. She retired at age 62 to care for her older sister Judy Zaby. Mary was an active parishioner at Saint Thomas Aquinas Church where she worked tirelessly for the Ladies Altar Society. She found time to get a Master’s degree at UNT, volunteered at Baylor Hospital, Saint Vincent DePaul, and Hospice. During her summers off and after retirement she traveled all over the U.S. and took the trips of her lifetime to Italy and Israel. Mary will be missed by her sons Steven (Julie) and Mark (Ann), her brothers Kirby (Maxine) and Douglas (Mary Beth), her grandchildren Brinda, Michael, Matthew, Andrew, Brennan, Rob, Zoe, step-grandchildren John, Bonnie, Ryan, and 14 great- grandchildren.Special thanks to all of her caregivers at Parkwood Healthcare and Advance Hospice who made her last days comfortable.Services and internment will be at Calvary Hill Cemetery, 3235 Lombardy Lane, Dallas 75220In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to your favorite charity.
