Thomas L. Ashbridge III

ASHBRIDGE, Thomas L. III, age 84, passed away Friday, June 12 after a lengthy illness. Born in Bucks County, Pa., Mr. Ashbridge attended Buckingham Friends School, The George School and graduated from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in 1948. He served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II in the Pacific Theatre as a lead navigator and bombardier in a B29 squadron, rising to the rank of major. In 1950 after the war, Mr. Ashbridge married the late Sally Hurst Toland and raised their family in Bucks County. He became a successful investment executive at Kidder Peabody in Philadelphia, where he worked for 30 years. Throughout his life, Mr. Ashbridge pursued his passion of fox hunting in Pennsylvania, Virginia, England and Ireland and was master of fox hounds for 17 years, with the Huntingdon Valley Hunt Club. Retiring in 1982, Mr. Ashbridge moved to Clarke County, Va., where he and his wife campaigned a number of steeplechase horses. They won the Virginia Gold Cup in 1984 at Great Meadows in Virginia with their horse, "Double Sparkle", who was named "Timber Horse of the Year". Mr. Ashbridge belonged to Delta Psi fraternity at the University of Pennsylvania and was a member of the Union League in Philadelphia. He served as a bank director in Philadelphia, trustee of Marion duPont Scott Equine Center at Morven Park, treasurer of Bethal Memorial Inc. He was a member of the Blue Ridge Hunt Hounds, the National Steeplechase Association, The Masters of the Fox Hounds Association. Mr. Ashbridge is survived by his son, Thomas L. Ashbridge IV "Tim" and his wife, Danielle Ashbridge, of Richmond; and their children, Thomas L. Ashbridge V and Asheley Elizabeth Jewett, also of Richmond. In addition, he is survived by his daughter, Elizabeth A. Kreider "Bobbin" and her husband, John R. Kreider, of Sykesville, Maryland; and their children, John R. Kreider IV of Annandale, Va. and Robert Ashbridge Kreider of Red Bank, N.J. Mr. Ashbridge has one great-grandchild, Madison Elizabeth Jewett (13 months old) of Richmond, Va. Predeceasing Mr. Ashbridge were his parents, Thomas L. Ashbridge Jr. and Natalie R Ashbridge of Hollicong, Pa.; a sister, Ellen M. Abbe of Long Beach, California. His beloved wife, Sally H. Ashbridge, passed away in 2003. The funeral will be held at Christ Church in Millwood, Va. on Saturday, June 27, at 2 p.m. Interment at Old Chapel will be private. A reception will be held at the Millwood Club after the funeral. The family will receive friends at their home on Old Gun Road, Midlothian, Va. on Wednesday, June 17, from 5 to 7:30 p.m.
This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.