Obituary of Robert Earl Ashbaugh

Robert Earl Ashbaugh, 82, known by “Earl” to his family, passed away June 12, 2015, at Mother Joseph Care Center in Olympia. He was a 25 year resident of Harstine Island. Robert was born March 20, 1933, to George and Della (Stearn) Ashbaugh in Glendale, California. He served in the army from 1953 to 1955, achieving the rank of Corporal in the Korean War. On April 5, 1958, Robert married Adella Marie Miles in Eugene, Oregon. In his early career he taught physics at Walla Walla College, and then moved on to become an engineer for Simpson from 1969, until his retirement in 1991. Notably, as Project Engineer he made significant contributions to the installation of co-generation capabilities at the Simpson Tacoma Kraft in the early 1990’s. Robert enjoyed the laid-back island life, his beloved pug dogs, traveling with his wife to the ocean and further to Scotland and Australia. At home, he loved to tinker with cars, particularly Corvairs, and work on household projects. In his later years, with encouragement from his daughter, he embraced digital technology and took to the iPad to write and publish his memoir “All The Years of My Life: Memoir of an Ordinary Guy” http://www.amazon.com/All-years-life-Memoir-ordinary/dp/1481225081. Robert was preceded in death by his siblings, Elva, Luella and Leon, and is survived by his beloved wife of 57 years, Adella; and his devoted daughter Leisa LaDell Ashbaugh. Services will be held on Saturday, June 20, 2015, at 2 p.m. at The Bridge Community Church, 500 E North Island Drive, Shelton. Interment will be at Jarrell’s Cove Cemetery on Harstine Island. Arrangements are by McComb and Wagner Family Funeral Home and Crematory, info@mccombwagner.com. A tribute from his daughter: The sentence you never want to write Just like you never get a chance to make a first impression, there are some sentences you will only write once. My father died today. He was a gentle soul. Everyone says that of him, because he was. Smart as they come. Sharp-witted, yet soft-spoken. When he spoke up, it was worth hearing and almost always cut right to the heart of the matter, with a unique insight that snapped you to attention and made you glad you were there to hear it. A bit of a cad and adventurer in his youth - you can read all about that in his memoir that he wrote and published on the iPad I gave him for Christmas 2010 - he settled contentedly into life as a devoted husband and provider, and a doting and sometimes (some would say often times) indulgent father. He fulfilled these roles with a complete and gentle embrace of duty that was as subtle, quiet and deep as it was steadfast and unwavering. For a man who would prefer to go unnoticed in a room of five or more, in a room of 20, 19 would jump to tell you that they loved Bob, Robert, or Earl, as he was known to family. A guy so witty and loveable that he needed three names. Ask him which he preferred and he would simply shrug and say with sincerity, “whichever.” Easy-going, witty, smart, loving and generous and gentle of spirit. If ever I question my own worthiness, proof of God’s good grace and love is that He gave me the gift of this man as my father. ~ 6/12/15 Leisa LaDell Ashbaugh