

Bill was born on April 27, 1951, at Wilcox Hospital in Lihue, Kauai, in the Territory of Hawaii - eight years before statehood. He was the son of Clarence Mike Ashman and Doris Marjorie Hahn. By the time he reached his teens, he had lived in more than a dozen communities across three Hawaiian and two Philippine islands. He was a proud graduate of Punahou School, Class of 1969.
After attending the University of Hawaii, Bill began his first career in the hospitality industry. He started dispensing giant sundaes at Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor on Oahu before being chosen to manage King's Alley, a new ice cream palace in Waikiki. His talent for hospitality led to management positions at Canlis Broiler, The Pottery on the Big Island, and ultimately to Food & Beverage Manager at the Mauna Kea Beach Resort - followed by assistant manager posts with Island Holidays hotels across three islands. In 1977, Bill and his wife Laurel Celeste Ashman welcomed their son, Kevin Kalima Ashman.
In December 1979, Bill moved to the mainland, where he completed a computer science program, met and married his wife Carol - a classmate - and began his second career. He went on to spend 14 years as an IT Systems Administrator at Lucky Stores, followed by roles at Siemens, InterTrust, and Solectron. In 2001, he founded Ashman Tech Services, providing hands-on IT support to small businesses throughout the Santa Clara Valley. His motto - "Personal Care for your PC" - reflected who he was: someone who believed in showing up, in person, when people needed help. He earned his Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer certification in 1999 and continued serving his clients for over two decades.
Bill lived in San Jose, California, for nearly four decades before moving to Washington in 2019. No matter where he lived, the islands never left him.
An extrovert who loved talking with people of all types, Bill was a joy to be around - kind, giving, and always ready with a conversation. He loved cooking, watching tennis, and never missed the Little League World Series. He carried a deep passion for technology that became a family legacy - starting with his father Clarence, through Bill, to his son Kevin, and now to his grandsons Henry and Nathan, four generations connected by curiosity and innovation.
He was preceded in death by his wife Carol Jean Ashman (2016), his wife Laurel Celeste Ashman (2005), his mother Doris (2016), and his father Clarence (2018).
He is survived by his son, Kevin Kalima Ashman; his fiancée, Michelle Jones; his sister, Lynne Hartz; his brother, Michael Ashman; and his grandsons, Henry and Nathan.
Bill was spiritual and accepting of all faiths. In keeping with his wishes, he will be cremated, and his ashes will be returned to Hawaii.
A Hui Hou, Bill. Until we meet again.
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