Mary E. Ashton

ASHTON MARY ELLEN ASHTON A devoted wife, mother, daughter, sister, tia friend, colleague, poet, artist, and teacher, Mary Ellen died peacefully after a long illness on February 29, 2012. She was 61 years old. A seeker of truth and a creator of beauty, Mary Ellen generously shared her boundless love, limitless curiosity, probing mind, unending creativity, and gentle, patient spirit with everyone whose life intersected with hers. The oldest of 14 children of Jaime Acevedo Navas and Mary Scott de Acevedo, Mary Ellen was born on January 19, 1951, in New Orleans, LA, where her father was doing post-graduate studies at Tulane University. Like her brothers and sisters, she represented the blending of two cultures: Santander, Colombia, her father's home, and Birmingham, AL, her mother's. Drawing from both sources, she blazed a unique trail of curiosity, caring, and creativity in every aspect of her life. Mary Ellen earned an undergraduate degree in microbiology from George Mason University and a master's degree in Spanish literature from the University of Maryland. She found her calling as an art teacher with the Montgomery County Public School system, where she shared her gifts for over 26 years, most recently at Parkland Magnet Middle School in Rockville, MD. In addition to her parents, who live in Chevy Chase, MD, Mary Ellen is survived by her devoted and adoring husband, Robert Kendall Ashton, owner and managing broker at RK Ashton Real Estate of Kensington, MD; her children, Michelle Iglesias Ashton of Kensington and Paul Iglesias Ashton of Wheaton, MD; her mother-in-law, Ruth Herr of Silver Spring, MD; her brothers and sisters, Cecilia Royals of Chevy Chase, Mercedes Bendeck of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Andrew Acevedo of Chevy Chase, Edward Acevedo of Wheaton, Nancy Shifter of Bethesda, MD, John Acevedo of Kensington, Michael Acevedo of Miramar, FL, Liliana Shirvanian of Derwood, MD. Ralph Acevedo of Silver Spring, Charles Acevedo of Fort Lauderdale, FL and Paul Acevedo of West Palm Beach, FL; thirty-seven adoring nieces and nephews; and a similarly adoring circle of in-laws, cousins, aunts, and uncles, both in the U.S. and in Colombia. She was preceded on her journey home by her sister, Sally Anne Acevedo Scott and her brother, Jaime Acevedo Scott, and she is joined with them now in heaven, where their spirits continue to guide their loved ones along the time-tested path of faith, family, and a life fully lived. The viewing will be held Sunday, March 4, from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m. at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Boulevard West, Silver Spring, MD. A Mass of Christian Burial will be said Monday, March 5, at 1 p.m. at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, 4101 Norbeck Road, Rockville. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be sent to the American Cancer Society or to Montgomery Hospice (along with a notation that the donation be used to support Casey House). Condolences and memories may be shared online at: www.legacy.com/washingtonpost Adios - - - To God Te Queremos, Mary Ellen We Love You