Ronald Hayes Ashe, 67, of Chocowinity, died peacefully on March 26 after a 13-month battle with cancer. He was surrounded by family in the comfort of the Service League of Greenville Inpatient Hospice House, just as he wanted.

Ron was the second son of Hanley Hayes Ashe and Alice Inez (Jones) Ashe of Shelby, North Carolina.

Always active, he played basketball with future NBA star David Thompson and baseball with future MLB pitcher Billy Champion (against whom he never lost a game). After finishing his studies at Gardner-Webb College and NC State University, he moved to eastern North Carolina to begin his 43-year career as a mechanical engineer at Weyerhaeuser. He was such a talented major capital project manager that he developed the company’s project and control manual. He truly made eastern North Carolina his home, living in and becoming a part of the fabric of both New Bern and Chocowinity over the past 46 years.

As a father, a friend, a coworker and a leader, he was loyal, fair, and willing to help anyone who needed it. He enjoyed fishing, gardening, being outdoors and watching any kind of sports, especially college basketball. He was a man of great Christian faith whose gratitude for God’s gifts and constant presence never wavered, even in his final days.

He goes on ahead of his wife of 19 years, Edna Carol Gray Ashe; son, Alan Hayes Ashe, of New Bern; daughter, Julie Ashe Ball, and son-in-law, Joe Ball, of Canton, Georgia; stepson and daughter-in-law, Tony and Wendy Webster, of Washington; stepdaughter and son-in-law, Jaimie and Robert Grissom, of Washington; grandsons, Riley and Donovan Ball; granddaughters, Mayah Webster, Alexis Newman, Alyza Grissom and Layla Grissom; brother and sister-in-law, Gary and Audrey Ashe, of Shelby; sister, Dianne Walker, of Shelby; sister and brother-in-law, Margaret and Ronnie Hicks, of Charleston, South Carolina; and many loving nieces and nephews.

He reunites with his parents, Hayes and Inez Ashe; his grandparents, Garland and Margaret Ashe and Ralph Sr. and Vangie Jones; and his lifelong friend, Claude Cooper.

Visitation will be held at Hillside Funeral Home in Washington on Tuesday, March 28, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. A celebration of life service will be held at Hillside on his birthday, March 29, at 3:00 PM. A private burial service will take place at the Gray Family Cemetery in Avon on Thursday. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Service League of Greenville Inpatient Hospice House, whose staff provided invaluable care for Ron and his family, at 920 Wellness Drive, Greenville, NC 27835.