Rodney Harold Ashford went home to be with the Lord Jesus on Feb 2, 2023. He was born in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon to Delbert and Leona (Buckle) Ashford on October 6, 1943 as the second of their six children. Rod grew up in various towns along the coast of Oregon, where he enjoyed a close relationship with his brothers and sisters. After high school, Rod worked at a lumber mill and also built houses with his father and brothers. His first son, John, was born in 1964 and soon after, Rod joined the Army.

In August of 1969, Rod married the love of his life, Brenda Walker, in Anchorage, Alaska. They moved to Dallas, Texas in 1971 where Rod graduated from college and went to work as an Engineer for Texas Instruments. He spent the next thirty-one years as a specialist working on defense systems, retiring from Raytheon in 2009. Rod and Brenda had a son, Justin, in 1972 and a daughter, Jodi, in 1977. They welcomed their first of many grandchildren in 1982. They lived in Tucson, Arizona from 2001 to 2008 where Rod joined Toastmasters, achieving the coveted Distinguished Toastmaster award twice and collecting many other awards along the way.

Rod committed his life to Jesus in 1979 and became an active member of his church, always looking for ways to serve and bless anyone using his special talents. Rod was a skilled mechanic, could fix just about anything and was ever willing to lend a hand. He taught Sunday School, Awanas, led many Bible studies and never missed an opportunity to share the message of Jesus Christ with someone. Rod was quick to tell a joke and was especially known for puns, a skill he shared with many of his grandchildren! Rod enjoyed researching his family's geneology and was delighted to discover that his fifth-great grandfather signed the Declaration of Independence and that eighteen of his ancestors traveled the Oregon trail and helped settle the Oregon Territory. He was a proud member of the Sons of the American Revolution.

Rod was a beloved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. He will be deeply missed. He is survived by his wife Brenda, his son John (Sonia) Ashford, son Justin (Jennifer) Ashford, daughter Jodi (Shane) Ashford, sister Delberta Kyle, brother Dennis (Sue) Ashford, sister-in-law Bea Ashford, sister-in-law Judi Ashford, sister Robin Freadman, eight grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and numerous nephews and nieces.