Ashby Long Cassidy

Born on September 17, 1931, in Birmingham, Alabama, Ashby was the daughter of Ashby Murphy Long and Leila Elizabeth Robinson Long. She grew up in Birmingham and attended the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, where she was a member of Chi Omega sorority and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Following graduation, Ashby moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where she began her career as a commercial artist for Lowenstein’s Department Store. There, as one of very few women working in media at the time, she used her artistic talents in advertising, illustrating the women’s fashions of the day.

On January 8, 1955, Ashby married Robert Joseph Cassidy of Kansas City, Missouri. Together they shared 68 years of marriage, building a life and family over nearly seven decades. Robert preceded her in death in 2023.

Ashby and Robert raised their two daughters in Westport, Connecticut where Ashby was a long time member of the Greens Farms Garden Club and the Fairfield County Hunt Club. In 1974, combining her entrepreneurial spirit with a lifelong passion for seeing the world, Ashby founded Ashby Travel. Under her leadership, the business became one of the area’s leading luxury travel agencies and enjoyed more than 20 successful years.

Travel was one of the great passions of Ashby’s life. An adventurous and intrepid traveler, she crossed the globe extensively, exploring Europe, South America, Southern Africa and Asia. Her travels took her to places both celebrated and remote—including an unforgettable journey up the Khyber Pass in Afghanistan. Her curiosity about the world and enthusiasm for experiencing new places remained an important part of who she was throughout her life.

Ashby also brought a wonderful sense of celebration to her home. She loved to sing and play the guitar and regularly filled the house with music, hosting large groups of amateur musicians for lively “Hootenanny” evenings. She was a fabulous cook and a gracious hostess. An invitation to dinner at Ashby’s home was reminiscent of an elegant soirée in the Deep South, complete with sterling silver, fine china and crystal, wonderful food, and the unmistakable warmth of Southern hospitality.

For all her accomplishments, adventures and interests, nothing was more important to Ashby than her family. She was absolutely devoted to her children and grandchildren, who were the greatest joy of her life. Her love for them was steadfast and abundant, and the family she cherished remains her most enduring legacy.

Ashby is survived by her daughters, Claire Haywood Cassidy Foss and Patricia Ashby Cassidy Devine; her grandchildren, Charles Timblin Sussman, Sarah Ashby Sussman Houle, Conor Joseph Devine, and Christine Ashby Devine Rhea; and her great-granddaughters, Wyatt Elizabeth Sussman, Gray Haywood Sussman, Hayley Cassidy Houle, and Elle Prince Rhea.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to the Greens Farms Garden Club to support their philanthropic community projects. Donations may be sent in Ashby’s memory to Greens Farms Garden Club P.O. Box 105 Greens Farms ,CT 06880.