Lawrence James Ashton

Lawrence (Larry) Ashton, Sr., age 75, of Fayetteville, North Carolina passed away on Monday, March 20, 2017.  He was born on August 24, 1941 in Minooka, Pennsylvania to the late James Sr. and Alice McCarthy Ashton.

Larry devoted 50 years of his life to serving our great nation, enlisting in the United States Marine Corps at the age of 17, where he served 4 years with the 2d Reconnaissance Battalion at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina before separating to join the United States Army.  He spent 22 years in the Army in various units at Fort Bragg, North Carolina to include the 82nd Airborne Division, 17th Cavalry, 3rd Special Forces Group (SFG), 6th SFG, 5th SFG, 7th SFG, the US Army John F. Kennedy Center for Military Assistance, and the 18th Airborne Corps Special Staff as well as assignments with the 82nd Airborne Division in Vietnam, 173rd Airborne Brigade in Okinawa and Vietnam, 3rd Armored Brigade in Germany and the 2nd Infantry Division in the Republic of South Korea.  He retired from the Army in 1984 as a Master Sergeant.  He continued his service as a civil servant with the Defense Contract Management Agency for 24 years.

He was married to his loving wife Joan for 47 years.  He is also survived by his daughter Virginia Fram  and husband James of Buda, Texas, son Lawrence Ashton, Jr., and wife Stacey of Waxhaw, North Carolina, son Daniel Ashton and wife Amy of Matthews, North Carolina, daughter Karen Coltrin and husband Michael of Alexandria, Virginia, son Kevin Ashton of Fayetteville, North Carolina, daughter Barbara Gillinder and husband Douglas of St. Petersburg, Florida, and son Robert Ashton of Fayetteville, North Carolina; grandchildren Jonathan Corley, Kayla Wilbanks, KeShawn Ashton, Grace Ashton, Lauren Ashton, Bailey Fram, Caroline Coltrin, Cameron Ashton, and Ashton Gillinder; nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.  He was also preceded in death by a sister, Patricia Stull and a brother, James Ashton.

The family will receive visitors on Thursday, March 23 from 7-9pm at the Lafayette Funeral Home, 6651 Raeford Rd, Fayetteville.  In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to the Lawrence Ashton Memorial Scholarship Fund with the 2d Reconnaissance Battalion Association. Checks should be mailed to 2d Recon Bn Assoc Charitable Fund, P.O.Box 3383, Cumming, GA 30040 and indicate contribution is for the Ashton Memorial Scholarship.  

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