Erwin Vilroy "Ash" Ashenfelter Jr.

FUNERAL HOME

Messinger Mortuaries-Pinnacle Peak Mortuary

8555 E. Pinnacle Peak Road

Scottsdale, Arizona

Erwin Ashenfelter Obituary

Ashenfelter, Erwin "Ash" Vilroy Jr.
72, passed away January 2, 2014, in Scottsdale, AZ. He was born to Erwin and Jenny Ashenfelter in Newton, North Carolina on June 17, 1941. Ash is survived by his wife Carol Gwin Ashenfelter, his brother Lee Ashenfelter, his children Sundi and Eric, as well as his granddaughters Cooper and Charlotte. Ash spent most of his childhood in southern California and graduated from Long Beach State in 1971. He was a proud veteran of the United States Air Force and spent 4 years in active service. He married Carol in 1968 and spent the majority of his adult life in "the West" working in the Car industry in one form or another. Ash loved cars, his family, and being a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He will be dearly missed by his friends and family. A memorial service will be held Thursday January 9th at 2 pm at Messinger Pinnacle Peak Mortuary 8555 E. Pinnacle Peak Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85255. Donations may be sent to the Elks National Foundation or the Colon Cancer Coalition.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Arizona Republic on Jan. 7, 2014.

Memories and Condolences
for Erwin Ashenfelter

9 Entries

Kevin Mass

January 2, 2024

Dear Carol Sundi and Eric,
I noticed this remembrance of Ash and I wanted to share that I think of Ash often, especially when I see older workmates from the Miller days. I remember him fondly and I miss him.
Kind regards.

Kevin Mass

January 8, 2014

Carol Sundi and Eric,
I am so very sorry for your loss. Ash was a genuine and heartfelt good man. I always felt better after spending time with him. A good friend.

January 7, 2014

Carol, Sundi & Eric:
Our sincere condolences as we hear of the passing of our dear friend. We express our love and our sympathy to you at this special, sacred time. He was a long time, true friend!
Lou & Sonja Gehring
Mesa, AZ

January 7, 2014

my heart has died, but my love NEVER will . i will be with you forever my babe. your babe, carol

January 7, 2014

Dear family,
I understand this is a very frustrating time for you and hope you can be comforted by reading Psalms, chapter 37.

Matt Singrin & family

January 7, 2014

Ash was a close friend of our family for more than 40 years. Ten of those years I worked for, with and around Ash and I always thought that there was no better fellow to be around. Kind, generous, thoughtful and in my case loyal, considerate and forgiving. I am proud to be a friend of Vilroy.

TJ LaPoint

January 7, 2014

I want to express my deepest condolences to Carol, Sundi and Eric. Ash was such an awesome friend in every sense of the word. I admired his sense of loyalty, his integrity, his love for Carol and his family and always looking at every situation in a positive light. He was also a pragmatic person which I appreciated in our business relationship. On a personal note I will deeply miss our monthly breakfasts, long talks and laughs. Until we meet again my friend...

Chris Sobol

January 7, 2014

Dear Carol,Sundi,Eric,lee and all the Ashenfelter family and those that knew and loved Ash.

it was my great pleasure to know Ash , he was a good friend and neighbor, we often talked boyishly about classic cars as well as planes trains and other automobiles and about life in general, he always had a smile and made time for a conversation or a quick chat,Im just happy and glad i knew him. where i come from in England we would say " Ash was a great bloke and a great mate" ! Christopher Sobol

Jeff Bruns

January 7, 2014

May 1977.

I had recently graduated from Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado and had just returned to Denver from Jackson Hole Wyoming where I had spent the winter season as a Ski Instructor. I was fortunate at the time to be working for my father's small family owned auto leasing business. He had encouraged me to get some “real world experience” at a larger company where I would get a good understanding of the automobile business and offered training his small company could not. I had sent out resumes to a number of companies including Ford, Chrysler, and Toyota. Most sent me a “dear John letter” saying I lacked the experience they were looking for.

Toyota was the exception.

I had interviewed with key managers at the Toyota office in Englewood Co. including Art Meisner, Joe Bensusen, and Erwin Ashenfelter.

The job I was interviewing for was a Distribution Analyst and the Manager would be Ash. I was told by all the Managers that Toyota was a company that typically hired people within the organization and there would be a number of internal candidates they would have to consider as well.

Ash had suggested I call him from time to time for an up-date on the position. I took it one step further and called his office every day for the better part of a month. I'm sure I was a real pest. The job with my father involved lots of travel shuttling cargo vans across the country to sales representatives. In one week I had called Ash from Shreveport Louisiana, Drasco Arkansas, and Amarillo Texas. I later learned he had started an office pool betting where Jeff would call from next?

When I called him from a pay phone booth in Amarillo he said, “Jeff look to the East, now look to the West, remember this spot because we want to offer you the position at Toyota Motor Sales USA”.

Clearly I was beyond excited!!! I have never forgot that phone booth, or that conversation with Ash in the middle of nowhere, outside Amarillo.

He told me my official start date would be the following Monday but if I could get to Denver the next morning (Friday) they would like to get the paperwork started. I don't remember much about the drive back to Denver I was so excited. Then it dawned on me, I didn't even own a suit, (in my previous interviews I borrowed my Dad's sports jacket and tie). I rushed to JC Penney that same evening to get outfitted and ready to show up for work on Friday.

I had been assigned to work with Doug Robb and Arleen McDonald in Ash's Distribution Department. We worked really hard and much longer hours than most of the office staff but it was the best experience I could have ever imagined. The work ethic Ash instilled in all of us prepared me for the next 37 years I have committed to the business. We worked hard but he made sure we played hard as well. Ash was instrumental in getting me promoted on a very fast track in the Toyota organization. In about 1979 he asked me to be the District Mgr. in Salt Lake City. Knowing I was an avid skier Ash said you can live anywhere you want within in the Salt Lake area, but if you chose Park City and get snowed in you might as well stay up there and go back to Ski Instructing, implying Toyota would not look kindly on that decision.

I kept in touch with Ash and Carol after we both left Toyota. They attended a Birthday Party my wife arranged when on a ski trip to Utah.

When I was considering a career change from Toyota to BMW and later when I planned to retire from full time work, Ash was there to offer sound and wise advice.

I have always looked up to Ash as a friend, and mentor. Stacie and I will miss him dearly.

The song “Amarillo By Morning” will always have a special place in my heart because of your husband, your dad, and my friend..

Jeff Bruns.