Oscar Henry Daniel Ash

Memorial services for Oscar “John” Ash, 94, of Mentor, will begin at 7 PM on Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Babcock Funeral Home, 4154 Clark Avenue, Willoughby.

The family will receive friends from 5-7 PM on Thursday, prior to the service at the funeral home.

Mr. Ash passed away Monday, May 11, 2015 at Lake West Medical Center in Willoughby.

Born February 8, 1921 in Cleveland, he had lived in Willoughby for more than 60 years before moving to Mentor five years ago.

He was a World War II United States Navy veteran and a member of Willoughby Lodge 302 Free and Accepted Masons. He was very interested in ancestry, and served as vice-president of the Willoughby Historical Society for many years. His special passion was in researching Civil War history and he was instrumental in the construction and dedication of a monument to local Civil War veterans at Willoughby Cemetery.

He was also a longtime volunteer at Morley Library in Painesville, where he enjoyed helping people with genealogy research and was a former member of Mentor United Methodist Church.

Mr. Ash was a co-owner of the former Cornwall Sheet Metal Company in Willoughby and served as a volunteer firefighter and EMT for the City of Willoughby for more than 30 years.

Survivors are his wife of nearly 70 years, Catherine (Herendeen); son, Tim (Christine) Ash of Mayfield Village; daughters, Susan (Gregory) Ash-Sanford of Leroy Twp., Catherine (Thomas) Holtman of Chardon and Betsy (Michael) Sankovich of Eastlake; grandchildren, Jodi, Christine, Thomas and Matthew; nine great-grandchildren and sister, Mary Jane Paquin of Cleveland.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Oscar and Alberta (Fisher) Ash and sister, Alberta Licht.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages contributions to the Willoughby Historical Society, 2 Public Square, Willoughby, OH 44094.