Ashton Lee Smith

Ashton Lee Smith, born March 1, 1920, passed away peacefully on March 3, 2023, two days after celebrating his well-attended 103^rd birthday party. 

Ashton was born in Enoch, Utah, the oldest child of Stanley Abner Smith and Grace Ashton Jones Smith.  He characterized his youth as “idyllic”, growing up on a farm with a loving family amidst horses, chickens, pigs and dairy cows. He attended a one-room schoolhouse for several years until students were bussed from Enoch to Cedar City for school.  His mother and her family were very musically talented, and Ashton developed a deep love for music and was a very active barbershopper for many years, singing in quartets and choirs.  After high school he attended the Branch Agricultural College (now SUU) in Cedar City.  He served a mission in the Eastern States Mission from December 1940 to December 1942 where he participated in a chorus of missionaries that gave multiple public performances around Pennsylvania. 

On May 14, 1943, he married his sweetheart, Mathel Moore from Parowan, Utah, in the St. George temple for time and all eternity.  In June 1944, their first child, Sherry Lee, was born and two days later Ashton received his draft notice to serve in the Army as World War II was raging. He left for training in July and was on a ship headed for the Philippines in December.   

Ashton served in the 149^th Regiment of the 38^th Infantry Division in retaking the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines from the well-entrenched Japanese Army.  He was wounded by a shell from a Japanese tank but was able to return to combat after a short period of recuperation.  His wife, Mathel, received a package with a Purple Heart Medal (for those wounded or killed in combat) with no explanation.  She didn’t know if he had been killed or seriously wounded until she finally got a letter from Ashton letting her know he was OK. 

After the war, He attended the University of Utah, graduating in 1949 with a B.S. degree in Education.  He accepted a position teaching high school math in Tooele for $200 per month.  Ashton served as bishop in the Tooele 9^th Ward.  In 1954 the family moved to Salt Lake City where Ashton taught math for many years in several junior high schools and West High. The family moved to Bountiful in 1955 where Ashton lived for the next 61 years.  He continued his education while teaching and received a MS degree in Education with a concentration in math from the University of Utah in 1961.  He loved mathematics and enjoyed solving complex mathematical problems all his life. 

Ashton and Mathel spent many years serving as ordinance workers in the Salt Lake and Bountiful temples.  After retiring from teaching, Ashton and Mathel served a mission at the Chicago temple for 18 months in 1989-1991, where Ashton served as a sealer. 

They happily celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary in 1993.  On April 11, 2005, Ashton’s sweetheart passed away a few days after suffering a stroke in their Bountiful home.  Ashton kept up his home and half-acre yard and garden for twelve years until, in his late 90’s, he couldn’t keep up with everything and went to live with his daughter Geniel in Centerville.  His daughter Sherry Lee lovingly cared for him during his last few months. 

He had a wonderful 100^th birthday party in 2020, attended by over 200 friends and family. He was a gracious, thoughtful, kind, loving man who served his family, his church and his country.  He will be sorely missed by his family (over 100 descendants) and countless others whose lives he touched for good.  He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Gordon, Drex and Udell (Khay), and his wife Mathel.  He is survived by his sisters Anna (Gary) Turner and Grace Marie (Ron) Dennis and his children Sherry (Bob) Lee, Geniel (Scott) Sly, Craig (Barbara) Smith, Valerie (Joe) Bond, Richard (Bonnie) Smith and numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, and even great great grandchildren.  Well done thou good and faithful servant!  Enter into thy well-deserved rest. 

Funeral services will be held Saturday March 11, 2023, at 11:00 AM in the Centerville 2nd Ward chapel, 1475 North 50 East (Carrington Lane), Centerville, Utah.  A viewing will be held 6-8 PM Friday March 10, 2023, at Russon Mortuary, 295 N. Main, Bountiful, Utah and Saturday from 9:30 to 10:45 AM prior to the funeral services at the church.  Interment will be in the Memorial Lakeview Cemetery in Bountiful.

Services will be streamed live on the Russon Mortuary & Crematory Facebook page and on this obituary page.  The live stream will begin about 10-15 minutes prior to the service and will be posted below.