Wayne Walter Ashton
May 25, 1946 - January 17, 2024
His family announces with deep sorrow the death of Wayne Walter Ashton, in Health Sciences North, with his wife Wendy at his bedside.
Born in Port Sydney in 1946, Wayne was the youngest child of Walter and Irma Ruth Ashton, and grew up with his brother, Jerry, and his sister, Donna, in the resort hotel their parents owned. His first job was as a recovery diver.
In the 1960s he was a part of the early rock ‘n’ roll scene, as drummer for Gubby Gringo and his Gutless Gauchos and later The Take Five, the house band at Hidden Valley Resort. On weekends they would drive down to Toronto to play at the clubs in Yorkville. None of us can remember which famous drummer ended up playing on Wayne’s kit at Hidden Valley; what we remember was that Wayne was thrilled to bits about it.
He married the love of his life, Wendy Ashton (née Edmunds), in 1969, at All Saints Anglican Church in Burk’s Falls. The couple moved to Espanola, where Wayne started out as the produce manager at A&P, eventually working his way up to manager. He also joined the Espanola Fire Department, where he formed relationships that he would treasure for the rest of his life. He would be with the fire department for fifty years, eventually becoming Assistant Chief. He saved a lot of lives, kept a lot of spirits up, and fed a lot of firefighters a lot of garlic.
Wayne loved helping people. When he and A&P parted ways, he went looking for a need in the community, and learned that the nearest process server lived in Sudbury, so he became a process server. He also worked as a private investigator, a bylaw enforcement officer for the Township of Baldwin, a member of the Ontario Geographic Naming Board, and a guard for the OPP—anything he could do to serve the community he loved.
He also enjoyed the great outdoors—hunting, boating, fishing, snowmobiling, and camping. For years, the family spent part of every summer at Pine Haven on Manitoulin Island, and he also enjoyed hunting expeditions with his friends. In later years, he and Wendy made sure to get out every year for at least a few days of camping, and when the kids were home we all loved to spend clear summer nights around the fire pit in the backyard, regaling each other with stories. He took great joy in having his family around him, and was a loving father and indulgent grandfather.
In his retirement, he also discovered a passion for cooking. He insisted on buying tomatoes with the vines attached, and liked cheeses so aromatic that they turned the air a delicate plum colour. His fondness for garlic was legendary. Moreover, he adored kitchen gadgets. The phrase “As Seen on TV!” was like catnip to him, and as our friendly neighbourhood Captain Gadget, he ensured that his family had the sharpest of knives, the most feature-laden of grills, the airiest of fryers, and the instantest of pots.
He turned 75 during the COVID lockdown. Instead of a party, the community gave him a parade of firefighters, police officers, municipal workers and officials, and friends. He was touched and extremely honoured, and talked about it as one of his most precious memories.
He leaves behind his wife Wendy, his daughter Cassandra (Will), his son Mike (Nicole), and two beautiful grandchildren, Alyssa and Ben.
The Celebration of his Life will occur on January 25 at 11 AM at the Royal Canadian Legion in Espanola. There will be opportunities to share your favourite Wayne stories, either spoken or written. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Espanola Hospital Foundation would be greatly appreciated. Arrangements by BOURCIER FUNERAL HOME Ltd, Espanola.