Samuel Lawrence Ashford

April 22, 1938 – June 17, 2024

Samuel Lawrence Ashford of Portland Oregon

He died June 17th of Lewy Body Dementia and heart diseases due to Agent Orange in Vietnam. He was in home care and hospice for about 3 years. He turned 86 on April 22, 2024, and was with his wife and stepson when he peacefully passed away.

He is survived by his wife, Valerie, 2 daughters Libby Ann and Kristina Ashford and 2 stepsons Christopher and Timothy Wickham.

He was born April 22, 1938, in Atlanta, Georgia to LM Ashford and Ruby Smith Ashford. He grew up in as he called it, a suburban neighborhood where he had a big yard. His chores were to clean the backyard, mow, and rake leaves. He enjoyed fishing with a bamboo pole, digging for worms and bowling. His favorite toy was a wagon. One of his favorite activities was shooting things with a Flip (homemade sling shot). His favorite TV Shows were Walker Texas Ranger and In the Heat of the Night. He liked Jazz, Blues, and religious music. He had a unique sense of humor, sometimes. sarcastic. He was quiet, mostly relying on his wife to speak for him.

There were 2 things that were of the utmost importance to him. The 1st was cultivated when he was just a boy. His Grandfather was as he called it a traveling minister. He had 4 churches, so he visited each once a month on Sunday. After the service they would have a potluck which he enjoyed. One of the parishioners made some undercooked green beans which caused his dislike of green beans ever since. Working with his grandfather caused his love of working in the church. He was proud of his service for many years at NE Baptist Church and the Hispanic Church.

The other area of his life that he was proud of was his military service. He served in the army from 1959-1979. He retired from the military in 1979 receiving a full pension. He was a heavy equipment mechanic and earned countless awards and commendations including the Purple Heart.

After he was discharged, he went back to school earning an associate’s degree at PCC. He dabbled in many fields including Truck driving, and he worked for Columbia Tu rel Bookkeeping and Tax Service for many years. He also worked for Merck Realty for many years. He worked with his wife until his eyes caused him problems.

Samuel was preceded in death by his mother, Ruby Smith Ashford, his father, LM Ashford, and his sister, Addie Sarah Ashford.

A funeral service is being held on July 17th at Noon at Omega Funeral Home. A graveside service will be held at Willamette National Cemetery at 2PM.

The family wants all those who helped us in the last few years to know how much they were appreciated. Especially the Veterans and the Home-Based Care Group from the veterans were wonderful. Visiting Angels and of course the Serenity Hospice were a blessing in this difficult time.