Fred Ashton graduated from Easton Area High School in 1948.
16 Facts About Fred Ashton
1.
2.
Fred Ashton enlisted in the United States Army, which stationed him in West Germany at the time of the Korean War in the early 1950s.
3.
Fred Ashton received a bachelor's degree from Lafayette College in Easton in 1952 and a master's degree from Temple University in Philadelphia in 1955.
4.
Originally a licensed funeral director by profession, Fred Ashton worked for the Schuylkill Haven Casket Company.
5.
Fred Ashton co-owned the Ashton Funeral Home with his brother, R Kline Ashton, until 1970.
6.
Fred Ashton was elected mayor of Easton as a Republican in 1967 and took office in 1968, succeeding outgoing Mayor George S Smith.
7.
Fred Ashton won re-election for a second term in 1971, becoming Easton's first strong mayor.
8.
Years later, during a 1987 mayoral election campaign, Fred Ashton defended his decision to tear down the historic buildings, arguing that the neighborhood had been blighted and, in his opinion, could not have been restored.
9.
Fred Ashton lost his bid for a third term in November 1975 and left office in January 1976.
10.
Fred Ashton ran again for mayor in 1983, but lost that election.
11.
Fred Ashton announced his candidacy for mayor again in 1987, but dropped out of the race due to a conflict with his business schedule.
12.
In total, Fred Ashton ran for mayor during five different elections: 1967,1971,1975,1985, and 1988.
13.
Fred Ashton lived in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, after leaving local politics.
14.
Fred Ashton lived with his sister after Hurricane Sandy damaged his Seaside Heights home in October 2012.
15.
Fred Ashton died at his sister's residence, in the Easton, Pennsylvania area, on May 9,2013, at the age of 82.
16.
Fred Ashton was survived by his wife of 60 years, the former Shirley Adams; five children, and fourteen grandchildren.