Frances Elizabeth Shaw Ashford

Frances Elizabeth Shaw Ashford was born on August 11, 1934 in Rex, NC to Lee Roosevelt Shaw and Catherine (Crenshaw) Shaw. Frances was an only child surrounded by many loving cousins growing up on the family farm in Rex. She graduated from Parkton High School, and Flora McDonald College (now St. Andrews University). After Frances graduated from college, she married and moved to London where daughter Kathy was born. The family returned to the US and after daughters Laura and Heather were born they settled in Raleigh. In addition to raising her family, Fran worked at the North Carolina Legislature, the NC Department of Archives and History, and Ashford Architecture. When her youngest child was in college, Frances returned to school to earn her paralegal credentials from Meredith College. She began working in the legal department at SAS Institute in Cary, then transitioned to the contracts department where she later became a contracts manager. Fran retired from SAS after enjoying 17 years there, where she developed many close friendships with her colleagues.

Fran grew up attending Rex Presbyterian Church, attended West Raleigh Presbyterian Church for many years, and was a member at White Memorial Presbyterian Church in Raleigh for the past eleven years. She cherished being a member of Circle A at White Memorial, and her Disciples class. She enjoyed volunteering in the Step Up Ministries program and seeing the accomplishments of the program participants as they changed their lives. Fran served on the Emmaus House board and said it was a humbling experience to witness what the determined men in the program could achieve in their lives. She enjoyed the arts and serving on the City of Raleigh Arts Commission.

Fran was proud of her three daughters and their families, and felt that her family was her greatest accomplishment in her life. She loved family “beach week ”in the summers, and especially the special family trip to St. John in 2014. Fran loved to travel with her close friends, especially on her annual trip to Santa Fe, and occasional trips to Scotland and Ireland where she could do genealogy research in addition to sight seeing.

Fran was predeceased by her parents, and is survived by her three daughters: Kathryn Atack and husband Jim, their sons Christopher and Brian; Laura Ashford and her daughters Jacqueline and Tess; Heather Garrabrant and husband Ed, and their daughter Caitlin and son Will. Fran also is survived by her loving cousins and their families, former spouse Sam Ashford, and many dear friends. The family would like to thank her caregivers for their special love and excellent care for Fran over the past two and a half years of her illness.

A service of Witness to the Resurrection will be held at 2:00 pm on Thursday, February 11th at White Memorial Presbyterian Church, 1704 Oberlin Road, Raleigh, NC 27608. Visitation will immediately follow the service in the Jane Bell Gathering Space behind the sanctuary.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Step Up Ministries at 1701 Oberlin Road, Raleigh, NC 27608; or to Emmaus House at P.O. Box 27585, Raleigh, NC 27608.

Arrangements by Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, Saint Mary's St., Raleigh, NC.