ashley is my role model , best friend, big sister,and shoulder to cry on. we are close to ashley in some way but i dont believe anyone would ever have the bond that we did as sisters, ashley compeletly understood me and i could never stay mad at her, she was there when i needed someone to talk to and when i needed someone to say stop being bad and get up.i love u ashley and u will always be in my heart.
it all started in middle school...we were once good friends. Ashley, I haven't seen you in years. You're so beautiful!! I wanted to let you know, i forgive you and i hope that you find it in your heart to forgive me as well..let the past be the past. I know you lived a troubled life, I did too..and I guess I never realized and thought things over until now. I know you were longing for love..and for someone to just be there for you and take care of you. I remember our goodtimes like it were yesterday.
I know you're in a better place. rest in paradise love.
<3 xoxo-love always
Ive known Ashley since 2001 our middle school days. We played soccer and basketball together. We both got really close real fast because sports was a huge deal to us,and none of the other girls really took it seriously.I remember one game in 8th grade.. I was sweeper,and Ashley was at striker... This one girl from the other team got past me and tried to score,but at the very last second i caught up with her and blocked the shot,and won us the game! She was so proud of me!! she was the first person to jump on me and tell me how much she loved and was proud of me! It was a great moment. I still remember like it was yesterday that when we were shaking hands with the other team, and when we got to the girl i blocked,Ashley gave her a huge hug... and then the rest of the team followed giving her a hug. That is just one eample of how great she is. Our next game was the championship,and Ashley and I played side by side... we were both doing great! She scored,as well as I did.. That was the first game the whole season that we had lost. I cried,and I remember Ashley coming up,she was so upset that I was crying that she started to cry with me,and we just sat there together on the curb waiting on the bus to take us back to school.. just crying together. Thats just the kind of girl she was. Never left me sad,and alone.
Freshman year of high school we did so well together we both tied as John Overtons "freshman of the year 2002-2003" and got our own plaques. We were both ecstatic! I remember how much fun Ashley was. We would go swimming at my pool behind my house,and have sleepovers,and just hang out together. We had french class in high school and since I am french and already knew the language she would always sit right next to me... just to make sure she was getting everything right. She was so smart,and such a great girl! We used catch rides to class on Jessicas wheelchair... we had a blast in those hallways!!! I remember we got in alot during soccer season because we would goof off alot. Coach Sohrabi would be like "ASHLEY! KIMI!!... GET TO WORK" .... we used to make fun of him because he would always tell us "BANANAS AND ICE ARE UR FRIENDS NOW!!!...." Man we had some good times.....
I will always have Ashley in my heart,and in my prayers... each and everyday..she was one of my very best friends...
xoxo *Kimi Funari
When we were kids Ashley was such a sneak and would always get me in trouble! She would do something, then cry to memaw and blame me or Josh or Scooter, ( our brothers) and because we were older and at that time she was the baby we always got in trouble. But we never got mad at Ashley!! She was our little sister and our heart! She use to love to sing and dance, I would sneak up on her in her room breaking it down, and she would gt mad at me!! We did not have it easy growing up, life was pretty hard, but Ashley was and always will be my hero!! She became such a beautiful woman, so strong!!!! I miss her so much and love her greatly!! She is a true soldier!!! She always talked about angels when we were kids, now she is one, watching over us!!!!
I remember the time when me and ash we're kids are room was a mess and we we're so bored we decided to play a game we called war the rules we're when the light went off we would throw everything we could find at each other when they went back on we would stop well I kinda hit her with something and she said stop so I went to turn on the light and when I got it on she had in her hand the birdhouse I'd made that day a big heavy birdhouse she rared back and slammed it right at my nose broke it and when I cryed and bled everywhere she just laughed and asked me not to tell told me she would make me peanut butter sandwiches for a week so I didn't tell and I didn't get my sandwhiches either but i still got the broken nose to this day and that is a memory with ash I won't ever forget :)
Dearest DeB,
I have not written to you before now. I have many things I have wanted to share with you, but you don't even know me. We have never met.
I was the resident DJ at the Lipstick Lounge for about 3 years before I left town in May of 2006. Leaving behind that crazy little bar and all of it's inhabitants left a hole in my lil' old heart that will never be filled.
Part of that void is Ashley's.
Words cannot express how utterly sad I am that she has left us and I still find it hard to believe she is gone. If I could tell you how much it meant to see her smiling, pretty face walk into that room . . . She absolutely lit it up. Every time. Without fail.
I was always thrilled to see her and Ashley always had a hug for me when she arrived. Always.
Another part of my excitement, as the DJ, was that I KNEW that once she had done her rounds and said Hi to everyone, Ashley would grace the dancefloor! I loved to see her out there, she was so alive and boy did she love to be on that stage. When Ashley was up there, I always played the songs I knew she loved to dance to, I wanted to keep her up there dancing for as long as I could because she had SO MUCH FUN. I also always had to play with the lights!!! You already know, that girl so deserved and LOVED to be under lots of lights.
On our first visit back to Nashville after about a year and a half, we finally made it back to the Lipstick. God, it was great to go back. But, it was a quiet night, maybe a Tuesday or a Wednesday so I wasn't expecting to see any if any of the old, familiar crowd.
Then, in walked Ashley and sure enough here came that glowing face and attitude. I was - again - so thrilled to see her. It really made my night.
I snapped this picture that night, of Ashley with my girlfriend Kelli. Kelli is also a dancer and had made comment on many occassions about how GREAT of a dancer Ashley was. Those two got along really well.
I have wanted to share this with you for a long time and I should have done so before now. Then I saw this and felt it was a perfect opportunity.
I think of Ashley often. Not only when I ponder the bar, but in moments when I can just see her face so clearly in my mind. Every time I see her, she is smiling and mostly, she dances.
I will always remember Ashley dancing and being the center of attention. It really didn't matter how many people were in that place, it could be wall to wall packed and Ashley would still stick out like a beacon.
That she is, a beacon of light.
DeB, I don't know what, but if there is EVER anything I can do for you, just say the word.
I wish you love and peace and I know that oneday you will see your beautiful and outstanding baby girl again. When you do, when you finally are able to throw your arms around her and hold her tight and tell her all the things you have so wanted her to know, listen to the music in the background and when she starts to dance just let her lead . . . the music will be playing for her and she knows it.
All the very best to you always,
Shell
