Linda Ann Ashton

Linda Ashton, passed away peacefully on Oct 21st, 2024, due to complications of Dementia and underlying kidney disease. Linda was born in Rochester, NY on May 21, 1947, to Josephine and Charles Ashton. She was a graduate of East High, class of 1965.

Linda is survived by her two children Joseph Ashton and Kimberly Adams and their spouses. Linda is also survived by her brother Michael Ashton, his wife Cindy and son Sean, and multiple relatives including aunts, uncles and cousins throughout the country. She had many friends from all over the country and world. Linda was loved by everyone that she met, and she loved everyone unconditionally.

Linda lived and worked in Rochester, NY until 2010 where she then started her adventures in traveling. First, she moved to Denver, CO, next to Prescott, AZ, then to Fort Myers, FL to live with her son and son-in-law. She went back to Prescott, AZ to be close to her goddaughter and her family. Next up was the move to Washington State to live with her friend of more than 30 years, Dawn. Finally, she moved back to Rochester in 2020. Everywhere she lived and visited she made lifelong friends and had many fun adventures. She had a love of being outdoors, hiking, collecting rocks, collecting plants, and telling people (friends, family and strangers) jokes.

One of Linda’s final wishes was that she did not want a funeral. She did not want her friends and family to remember and think of her in a “sad melancholy way”. Her life was filled with love and happiness. She will always be remembered for her goofy sense of humor, fierce love of friends and family, and her jokes (even the not so great ones).

We would like to invite all of Linda’s friends and family to leave any funny or silly memories that they have of her, or simply tell your best joke in her memory.

Joe (her son) speaking here: My mom and I had many conversations through the years and very recently regarding her final wishes. Her wish was to be cremated, which she prearranged and put a plan in place. As you all know, she is very much a “free spirit” and “fairly untraditional”. She embraced and embodied this right to her final moments (and beyond). She did not want in her words “a sappy sad funeral, they are boring and stuffy”. She wanted each one of you to remember the “silly, goofy and fun times”.

When I last asked her how she wanted people to celebrate her life she said, “Tell them to tell a joke, plant a tree, smell a flower, go outside in nature, pick up an interesting rock, watch the sun rise or set, eat ice cream for breakfast, skip down the street or whatever floats your boat”. I think all these things are a perfect representations of my mom and the legacy that she left to all of us. Much love to you all.”