Ashley remembered as ‘ultimate encourager’

Don Ashley.

Characterized as the “ultimate encourager” and public servant, Corbin’s Don Ashley was eulogized Saturday afternoon at a filled-to-capacity First Baptist Church sanctuary in Corbin.

Ashley died December 4 after a long battle with bone cancer. He was 61-years-old.

Ashley was one of the founding members of Bank of Corbin (now called Hometown Bank) and a member of the Corbin Varsity Club. He was a big supporter of youth sports in the area, and served as a magistrate on the Whitley County Fiscal Court in the 1980s.

“He’s done it all,” said Williamsburg Independent Schools Superintendent Amon Couch, a close personal friend of Ashley’s.

“He loved people. He loved making people’s lives better. Anytime you left after visiting with Don, you always walked away feeling better than you came.”

Ashley was a long-time member of Central Baptist Church and was a devout Christian, Couch said.

“He went down to Arkansas for several months for treatment and there’s a ton of stories about how he would go around and pray with people there,” Couch said. “He turned into a missionary in Arkansas sharing the love of Christ, even though he was there because he was ill.”

Couch said Ashley accepted the fact that he was going to pass away, in his final days, with more “grace and dignity” than anyone he’s ever known.

“He didn’t want his funeral to be a big, sad affair,” Couch said. “He wanted it to be happy and celebratory … something that glorified Jesus.”

Ashley was survived by his wife, Diane, and two daughters Sarah and Katie; his mother Sarah Ashley and a sister, Kathy Tremaine.

A full obituary appears on page B-4 of this week’s News Journal.

Ashley’s funeral was held at First Baptist Church in Corbin. He was laid to rest in Pine Hill Cemetery.