Lois Ashley

WINTER HAVEN -- For many years, Mrs. Lois Ashley and her husband enjoyed riding their Harley-Davidsons on long road trips. "My dad had a Harley his whole life, and when they got married she got one," said her son, Larry Ashley of Winter Haven. "They were in a Harley club and they used to ride all over the place. The club would meet every Tuesday or Wednesday night and it would always go for a long ride once a week. "They both had the big Harley-Davidsons." Mrs. Ashley, a retired school bus route coordinator for the Polk County School Board and letter carrier for the Winter Haven Post Office, died of complications following a stroke Tuesday (Dec. 7, 2004) at Life Care Center of Winter Haven. She was 73. The lifelong resident of Polk County was born in Eagle Lake on Sept. 4, 1931. She married Thomas Ashley Sr. on June 1, 1951. Mrs. Ashley's career with the Polk County School Board began with her driving a school bus route. It evolved into her coordinating the school bus routes for the school system. After her retirement, Mrs. Ashley began a career with the Winter Haven Post Office where she started as a substitute letter carrier and eventually got her own route serving the Cypress Gardens, southeast Winter Haven areas. After 28 years with the post office, she retired in the mid 1990s. Mrs. Ashley was an animal lover and spent much of her time with her cat, Precious. "Her cat never saw cat food. She fed it shrimp and crab legs. She would buy food for that cat from Red Lobster," Larry Ashley said. Mrs. Ashley was past president of the Florida School Bus Drivers Association. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Inwood. Mrs. Ashley was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Ashley Sr., in 1993. In addition to her son, Larry Ashley, she is survived by her sons, Thomas Ashley Jr. and Randy Ashley, both of Winter Haven; sister, Joanne Branan, Wahneta; four grandchildren; five step-grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and one step-greatgrandchild. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Ott-Laughlin Funeral Home, Winter Haven. Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home chapel. Burial will follow in Auburndale Memorial Park. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society or a charity of your choice.