It is with a deep sadness and loss that the family announces the passing of Ashley O. Upton of Chipman NB. He was born February 1st 1923 in Chipman, and passed away at the Saint John Regional Hospital on November 6th, 2021. Ashley was being cared for by his loving daughters and their families in Fredericton and Hampton for the past year during a period of declining health.

He enjoyed a long and eventful life. Prior to and during the early years of WWII he was in the Canadian Forces Reserves. A member of the Minto Grand Lake Lodge, Ashley also worked at a variety of occupations in and around his beloved Chipman. At various times in his life he was a woodsman; a laborer for the CNR; a scaler for McLeods Mill for seven years; he worked at Ken Darrah’s and Sayre’s stores and he was the proud owner of a small independent saw mill. He is remembered most recently for his time as a superintendent of roads for the Provincial Government, a position from which he retired in 1988. From all of these occupations and life experiences Ashley gathered a wealth of stories that he loved to recount for the listener.

He married Leslie Hutchison in September of 1948 and they moved into the home that Leslie had been raised in. They spent their entire married lives in the house on Lilloett Drive, where they raised their two children, Patty and Susan. Ashley had a wonderful sense of humor, a kind and loving heart, lots of friends and a smile that would light up any room, especially when any one of his 3 beloved grandchildren were anywhere close by. Other than his grand-children and family, his greatest happiness all throughout his life came from his love of the natural world, especially the woods. He lived and breathed for the moments, hours and days that he would spend either harvesting trees for firewood and timber, or trimming his woodlots or just walking about in his forested areas. He was especially proud of his annual gardens, and he fought the good, but always losing, battle with the deer and other wildlife that invaded and harvested his crops before he could. Nevertheless, Ashley always enjoyed watching the multiple deer in his back field while sitting at his dining room table.

He took great happiness from his cottage on Grand Lake and the Cox’s Point Road, where he would spend his summers, often entertaining his friends with BBQ events, card games and from time to time live bands set up inside the cottage for an evening of music and laughter. Loving nature, he loved listening to the loons on the lake and the many hummingbirds.

The son of Harry and Cassie (Hargrove) Upton, Ashley was the youngest of 3 children with Ethel his sister and his brother Harold, all of whom predeceased him. He is survived by his daughter Patricia and Susan; his grandchildren Jonathan (Allison), Jason (Kate Beamish) and Samantha; and his sons-in-law Ed MacEachern and Chuck Landry.

There will be no visitation as per the family’s wishes and the graveside ceremony will be private, attended only by immediate family. For those who wish, remembrances may be made to the Chipman United Church or the Canadian Cancer Society or the charity of the donors choice. Interment will be in the Red Bank United Church Cemetery.

Arrangements are in the compassionate care of Chipman Funeral Home Ltd. & Crematorium (339-6612). Memories and condolences may be shared through www.chipmanfuneralhome.ca.