Leone B. Ashe (Lee) died Oct. 3, 2018. She was born in Fargo, North Dakota, to Leonard and Christine Withrow, and grew up in Garvin, Minnesota. Lee came to Jacksonville in 1964 and lived in Arlington. After being widowed for some time, she married John Ashe and settled in Neptune Beach.
Well-known and well-loved, Lee Ashe and her daughter founded their first pet shop in Jacksonville and grew to open more at the Beach: The Village Pet Shop and The Pet Emporiums. They shared a unique partnership over 25 years. Lee was a pioneer in her field and was proud of her ability to make people happy by always matching the right pet with the right person. She could hardly go out without people walking up to her and thanking her for enriching their lives with fur-babies and more. Lee made friends with customers and employees alike; her smile lit up the room and her wisdom inspired many. To this day, her friends and customers remember her skill, fairness and true desire to make the world a better place.
She retired in 1998 and went on to volunteer for many more years at Mayo Hospital as a retail specialist in the gift store. Again, that beautiful smile, her willingness and her wisdom continued to inspire. She went on to become the first female Elk at the Elks Lodge, because she did not want to be a Doe, so she fought to change the rules. After that, she was a top-notch bridge player. Later, she went back to her roots and bought a farm site as well as a lake house for her family and her children’s families to enjoy. Christmas Eve at Grandma’s house was her tradition and she loved her kids, her grandkids and her great-grandkids with never-ending, unconditional love and support.
Lee was a woman before her time, yet she held the simple and true values of her time. She will be missed by many and her memory will be cherished for years to come. She was the Greatest Generation, and her motto was simple: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Lee was predeceased by her loving husband, John J. Ashe, and is survived by her loving daughter, Julie Brigman (Ricky); grandchildren Dean Hanapel (Kimberly Hanapel), Tim Hanapel, Lynn Dell (Troy Dell) and Megan Ashe; and great-grandchildren James, Eli, Liam, Elizabeth, Ryan and Ava.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 1 p.m., Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, in the Chapel of Quinn-Shalz Funeral Home at 3600 Third St. S., Jacksonville Beach, Florida 32250. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Jacksonville Humane Society in Leone Ashe’s name.
Please visit the online tribute at www.quinn-shalz.com. Arrangements by Quinn-Shalz Family Funeral Home.
