Fred Ashton

Ashton was born in Easton, Pennsylvania, on March 7, 1931, to Fred L. Ashton Sr. and Jean Melick Ashton.[5] He graduated from Easton Area High School in 1948.[4] He enlisted in the United States Army, which stationed him in West Germany at the time of the Korean War in the early 1950s.[4] Ashton received a bachelor's degree from Lafayette College in Easton in 1952 and a master's degree from Temple University in Philadelphia in 1955.[4] Originally a licensed funeral director by profession, Ashton worked for the Schuylkill Haven Casket Company.[3] He co-owned the Ashton Funeral Home with his brother, R. Kline Ashton, until 1970.[3]

Fred L. Ashton Jr. was elected to the Easton city council from 1963 to 1967.[3] He was elected mayor of Easton as a Republican in 1967[4] and took office in 1968, succeeding outgoing Mayor George S. Smith.[1] He won re-election for a second term in 1971, becoming Easton's first strong mayor.[4] As mayor, Ashton oversaw the construction of the city's new parking garage, which also houses the Easton Police Department, and a new fire station in the city's College Hill Residential Historic District.[4] Larry Holmes Drive, a portion of Pennsylvania Route 611, was completed in downtown Easton during his tenure.[4] More controversially, Ashton supported the Riverside Drive and Lehigh-Washington Street urban renewal projects covering a sizable area of downtown between Front (now Larry Holmes Drive) and Fifth streets and from Ferry to Washington streets,[6] displacing a large number of businesses operated by the Lebanese American and Syrian American communities.[4] Numerous historic buildings, including older colonial and pre-revolutionary structures were demolished and replaced by a fast food restaurant, movie theater, hotel, and gas station, which were constructed on the site.[4] Years later, during a 1987 mayoral election campaign, Ashton defended his decision to tear down the historic buildings, arguing that the neighborhood had been blighted and, in his opinion, could not have been restored.[4]

Ashton lost his bid for a third term in November 1975 and left office in January 1976.[4] He was succeeded by Mayor Henry J. Schultz. He ran again for mayor in 1983, but lost that election.[4] (Incumbent Republican Mayor Phil Mitman won re-election). Ashton announced his candidacy for mayor again in 1987, but dropped out of the race due to a conflict with his business schedule.[4] In total, Fred Ashton ran for mayor during five different elections: 1967, 1971, 1975, 1985, and 1988.[4]

Ashton lived in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, after leaving local politics.[4] He and his wife were licensed brokers at Crossroads Realty in Lavallette, New Jersey, before his retirement.[3]

Ashton lived with his sister after Hurricane Sandy damaged his Seaside Heights home in October 2012.[4] Ashton died at his sister's residence, in the Easton, Pennsylvania area, on May 9, 2013, at the age of 82.[3] He was survived by his wife of 60 years, the former Shirley Adams; five children, and fourteen grandchildren.[4] Ashton was buried in Easton Cemetery in Easton.[4]