Doris Ashby

March 13, 1931 - May 14, 2023 San Diego Doris Ashby, 92 years young, passed away peacefully on Mother's Day, May 14, 2023, at home surrounded by love: her husband of nearly 70 years and her immediate family. Doris was a former resident of Cypress and San Diego, California. Doris was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to Fred and Vera Kloske. She graduated from Soldan-Blewett High School in St. Louis where she first met and dated her husband, Paul. After graduating, she worked as a billing clerk at Southern Bell Telephone Company in downtown St. Louis for 5 years. While there she met her best friend for life, Willena (Willie) Bamper. Doris married Paul Ashby in 1953 in St. Louis. They moved to California residing first in Inglewood, then Fair Oaks until she and Paul finally settled in Cypress, California. She was a homemaker and dedicated mother rearing her 3 daughters in a loving home. She served annually on Cawthorn Elementary School's Parent-Teachers Association and was a tireless supporter of fundraising for the elementary school and its teachers. She returned to the workforce first as a school librarian for the Cypress School District and then as a Teacher's Aide for the district working with the K 3 students on their reading and mathematical skills. She thoroughly enjoyed interacting with the young students in a learning environment. Doris served as a Brownie Troop Leader for her daughters' troop. She also enjoyed serving as the softball team chaperone and score keeper for many years while her daughters played in the Cypress Bobby Sox Softball League. Both Doris and her husband were founding members of the Cypress High School Academic Boosters Club. Doris was an avid bowler who played in the Rossmoor Bowling League (Los Alamitos, California). She earned two 500-series patches during her league play. During their early retirement years, she was a supporter of the Cypress Pops Orchestra. Doris and Paul also delivered meals for the Cypress Meals on Wheel program for 8 years. During her later retirement years with her husband Paul, they moved to San Diego where she became a Padres fan. She and her husband loved traveling throughout the United States visiting State and National Parks, baseball fields, historical sites and museums. Her favorite trips were the cruises she took with her family. They cruised Alaska for her 50th wedding anniversary and for their 60th anniversary another excursion from Quebec to Boston. She always enjoyed attending with her husband the Subic Bay Marines annual group meetings during which she could visit with friends and tour the various cities and military bases in which the meetings were held. Doris was an active member of Holy Cross Lutheran Church (Cypress) where she tended the altar, taught Sunday School and participated in the Women's Guild and Bible Study. Later, she was a member of Christ the Cornerstone Lutheran Church (San Diego) where she served as a Greeter. She believed strongly in the power of prayer and exemplified Jesus' teachings of love and kindness, treating everyone she met with respect. Her soft-spoken manner and thoughtful ways left an indelible impression of grace on everyone she met. A lifelong learner, she believed in the power of education and loved reading, values she instilled in her daughters and grandchildren. She indulged in watching films from the 1940s and '50s as well as reading biographies. She loved tending her garden and being surrounded by the beauty of flowers and greenery. She enjoyed watching the hummingbirds that populated her garden area and the local rabbits that would scamper through the yard. She believed in eating healthy and staying active all her life doing her morning exercises and walking a mile every other day with her husband until shortly after her 92nd birthday when she became ill. She is survived by her devoted husband Paul, her daughters and their spouses of whom she was so proud: Deborah and Timothy McNulty (Kahului, Hawaii), Susanne Ashby and Anita Kelly, and Julie and Michael Umansky (San Diego, California). She is also survived by her 5 grandchildren of whom she deeply loved and with whom she enjoyed sharing so many life experiences: Caitlin McNulty, Brendan McNulty, Caden Umansky, El Umansky and Shane Umansky. She was preceded in death by her siblings Virginia (Ginny) Manies and Fred Kloske, Jr. and her lifelong friend Willie. Internment will occur at a later date. A celebration of her life for family and close friends will be announced and held later this year. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society or your local library. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32