William Wayne (Bill) Ashby was born in Red Oak, Iowa to Ernest and Dorothy Ashby. He was the second born of nine children. The Ashby family migrated to Idaho and eventually settled in Modesto. While living in the Modesto area, he met and married the love of his life, Mary Azevedo Ashby. Early in their marriage, Bill and Mary owned a small dairy. They decided to leave the dairy business and Bill started his career as a truck driver, Bill and Mary also started their family. They had three children, Cheri, who eventually married Chuck Merenda, John who married Karen Beckwith and Bill who married Melanie Donovan.
Through the years, Bill enjoyed belonging to the Ten-High club, the Central Valley chapter of the Ponies of America club, a camper club that made many RV trips including traveling to Arizona for the winter months. Bill was also a member of Centenary Methodist Church. During his retired years, Bill grew a garden and sold the produce on his vegetable stand on Beckwith Road. He also raised chickens and sold the eggs. He loved being outside, doing his chores and growing a variety of vegetables. Bill was loved by many. He will be remembered for his great sense of humor and his abundance of charm.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Jerry Ashby and his sister Corrine Gallasso. He leaves behind his wife Mary Ashby, his children and their spouses, his remaining siblings, Marjorie Sbragia, Lois Wiltz, Dolores Bernardi, Jane Harmon, Nancy Abdullah, and Jim Ashby. He also leaves eighteen grandchildren, thirty great grand-children and two great, great grandchildren.
There will be a graveside service honoring Bill’s life at 11:00 Monday morning at Lakewood Memorial Park with a luncheon following at the home of Chuck and Cheri Merenda. The family requests that remembrances be in the form of donations to the Alexander Cohen Hospice House in Hughson.
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