Leah Burton Ashby's Obituary
Leah Burton Ashby was born to Harriet Almira Peterson and Winfield Ballantyne Burton in Afton, Wyoming on October 2, 1932. She passed away quickly and peacefully, just as she wanted, on January 15, 2015.
Leah grew up on a ranch in Afton, the oldest of 11 children. She loved riding horses and being in the hayfields with Daddy and her brothers. She met her sweetheart, Calvin, while attending an education class at BYU. They were married in the Manti Utah LDS Temple on September 15, 1955. They settled in Provo where they raised seven children on a school teacher’s salary. Leah spent hours every year canning the produce that Calvin grew in their enormous garden. She taught piano lessons, sewed clothing, and budgeted every resource they had to make ends meet. When two sons were on missions at the same time, Leah reentered the workforce. She loved her time working at Job Service and then Utah Valley Community College (now UVU). One of her favorite nicknames was “Grammar Moses,” earned in the UVCC English Lab where she helped hundreds of students with papers and grammar assignments.
Leah was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving in many capacities in stake and ward levels. She especially enjoyed her service mission with the LDS Employment Services. She loved helping people and made friends wherever she went. She shared her home with siblings, nieces, nephews, and even the occasional student who needed a place to stay for a little while. She had a fondness for animals, even snakes and spiders. She would pick up spiders with her bare hands and take them outside.
Creativity was a hallmark of Leah’s life. She could do pretty much anything she put her hand to, especially if it had anything to do with music, writing, art, or sewing. She loved painting landscapes and especially loved the fall leaves. She took a tailoring class at BYU and once made Calvin a suit. She made her own wedding dress, combining several patterns that she liked. She wrote countless roadshows, arranged hundreds of musical numbers, and taught numerous students to speak their mother tongue just a bit more properly. Her skills were put to use daily as she performed her most important life’s work: raising seven children. She wasn’t perfect, thankfully, but she loved her family, and she did the best she could with grace and humor. She will be missed greatly.
Leah is survived by her husband, Calvin; seven children: Karen, Kent (Sandi), Kirk (Patrice), Kerry (Jean), Kim (Lesleigh), Julie (Phillip), and Klay (Jennifer); and 20 grandchildren: Brittani, Eric, Amy (Ty), Benjamin, Grace, Jeremy (Vicky), Derek (Shannon), Tyler (Stephanie), Tayler (Justin), Nathan, Matthew, Stephan, Dallin, Leah, Alex, Samuel, Thomas, Jessica, Dylan, and Rachel. She was preceded in death by a beloved grandson, Dallin; siblings, Marie and Lloyd; and her parents, Harriet Almira Peterson and Winfield Ballantyne Burton.
Family and friends are invited to attend a viewing at the Grandview South Stake Center on Friday, January 23 from 6-8p.m.
Funeral services will also be held at the Grandview South Stake Center on Saturday, January 24 at 11a.m., with a viewing before the funeral from 9:45-10:45a.m.
The Grandview South Stake Center is located at 1122 Grand Avenue in Provo, UT.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Perpetual Education Fund.
What’s your fondest memory of Leah?
What’s a lesson you learned from Leah?
Share a story where Leah's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Leah you’ll never forget.
How did Leah make you smile?