Louis Allen Ashcraft, community activist
Louis Allen Ashcraft, 62, of Milford, passed away Thursday, Oct. 23, 2014. Louis ‘Tex’ was born in Quanah, Texas, Feb. 23, 1952.
Louis was a retired engineer with Verizon (Bell Atlantic) Telephone Company of Washington, D.C. After his graduation from Parkdale High School in River Park, Md. he was accepted at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., but attended only a short time as he had received a back injury from falling down two flights of metal stairs while on a Coast Guard vessel. He then went to work for the Library of Congress before he started his 30-year career at Verizon.
Louis was very active in the Sussex County community with the local Habitat for Humanity chapter by providing his service with his John Deere tractor. He also helped at the Soup Kitchen of the Presbyterian Church in Lewes. His main job there was to pick up leftover bread from the local bakery, as well as help serve the food and afterwards help with the clean-up. He was an active member of the Milford Senior Center where he enjoyed playing a good game of pinnacle.
Louis was the son of the late James Eldon Ashcraft and Lidia Anna Pattai. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his younger brother: Richard Ashcraft. Louis is survived by his daughter: Jennifer Ashcraft and his two grandchildren: Jaelyn Ashcraft and Jeffrey Love III of Woodbridge, Va. He also leaves behind his siblings: Laura West of Saint Marys, Ga., Maria Mayhew of Lusby, Md. and Joseph Ashcraft of Potomac, Md. He had a large family of seven nieces: Bryanne, Joy, Amanda, Kelley, Leah and twins Jessica and Christina; four nephews: Rob, Tony, Michael and Joseph. He also is survived by his seven great-nieces; Chelsea, Hayley, Cameron, Kayla, Camille, Alexandra and Adriana; five great-nephews; Tommy, twins Grant and Trent, Joseph and Mathew. He is survived by lots of cousins, second and third cousins in Connecticut, Illinois, Florida, Arizona, Colorado, Texas and in Trieste, Italy, where his mother, Lidia, was born in 1931.
He is survived by his aunts: Joy, Dixie, Vicki and Kathy from Nevada, Oklahoma, Colorado and Texas; his uncle: Johnny Ashcraft of Quanah, Texas; his stepfather: Albino Coslevas of Trieste, Italy. He leaves behind his fiancé and love of his life: Annamarie Fosmire of Georgetown; and his dedicated close friends and neighbors: Bill and Linda Malayter of Milford.
Help us celebrate Louis Ashcraft’s life by attending a memorial service at the Berry-Short Funeral Home, 119 NW Front St., Milford, Sunday, Nov. 9, at 2 p.m.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers, make donations to the American Heart Association, 1019 Mattlind Way, Milford, DE in memory of Louis.
