Warren Ashton

Warren Raymond Ashton, 76, of Dublin, Ohio, passed away on November 10, 2026, in the loving arms of his wife of 53 years, Roberta Ashton.

Born to Raymond Charles Ashton and Helen Virginia Grason in Seweckly, PA, Warren grew up learning a love of tinkering from his father. As a young boy, his Uncle Howard gave him a train, and out of that train grew a passion. He and his father spent countless hours running trains and fixing gadgets. Out of that desire to help his dad grew a passion for learning and a determination to solve problems that would shape the course of his life.

And the course of his life was shaped early. As a boy, sitting in his grandmother's living room, she asked the question,”What do you want to be when you grow up.” With fire in his eyes, He turned to his mother and asked, "What makes a lot of money and works with electricity?" She replied, "An electrical engineer." He had made his decision and would not be dissuaded.

There were plenty of people who thought he would never accomplish it. Warren often recalled a meeting in sixth grade when school officials gathered parents and told them their children weren't college material. Rather than discouraging him, those words lit a fire in Warren and his mother. He was determined to prove them wrong. Again in college an advisor would tell Warren he did not have what it takes to make it as an engineer and he should pursue another major. But no was never an answer.

Through hard work and dogged determination, he graduated from Virginia Tech and began a career that would take him further than anyone might have imagined. Roberta tells about early years working 12 hours a day, 6 days a week to start up the Amos Power plant. But one of his proudest moments was when he helped lead the Mountaineer Plant in New Haven, West Virginia to a world record run of 440 consecutive days without an outage. Later in life, his expertise would take him around the world as he consulted with power plants internationally.

But for all his professional accomplishments, Warren understood that the most important things in life couldn't be measured by titles, achievements, or the size of the projects he helped build. His greatest investments were always in his faith and his family.

And that story began during his college years.

Love

While home from Virginia Tech on Christmas break, Warren attended Young Adult Fellowship at a Methodist church in Wilkinsburg, PA. He would joke that he was trying to figure out which of the “hot chicks” he wanted to date. On a bowling night with the group he met Roberta Arlene Connolly and love blossomed as they attended church gatherings, dances, and went on dates, including their first, a trip to downtown Pittsburgh to see the movie Love Story. Warren was so taken with his sweetheart that he would hitchhike home from college just to spend time with her. He proposed, but their wedding was delayed because her father got sick. Working hard to provide and care for others was as characteristic of Roberta as it was of Warren. She delayed the wedding and worked at Mine Safety Company making inserts for hardhats to help provide for the family until her father could return to work. When he was able to return, wedding planning resumed and he married Roberta Arlene Connolly on March 24, 1973, beginning a love story of their own that would span more than 53 years and touch countless lives.

The young couple settled in Charleston, West Virginia, where Warren's work at the Amos Plant often demanded twelve-hour days, six days a week. Life was busy, but God was at work in ways neither of them could have anticipated.

Warren's supervisor, Bob Herndon, invited the couple to attend a Methodist church and encouraged Warren to join a weekly men's Bible study. Bob would even take Warren to work afterward so Roberta could have the family car. Through those simple invitations, friendships grew, and Warren began to discover a faith that would transform his life.

At a men's retreat, Warren witnessed a dramatic reading of Scripture by a man in character that moved him deeply. Later that evening, alone in his room, he surrendered his life to Jesus Christ.

It was a decision that would change everything.

Through church fellowship, Bible studies, and a Lay Witness Mission, Warren and Roberta grew together in their Christian faith, forming friendships that would enrich their lives for decades. What began with a simple invitation to church became a foundation of faith that would shape their marriage, their family, and the generations that followed.

Building of a Legacy

Together, Warren and Roberta raised five children and through hard work and determination built a home filled with faith, laughter, curiosity, and love.

And the little boy who once spent hours running trains with his father never quite outgrew the wonder of it all.

The model train that had captured Warren's imagination as a child became a cherished tradition passed down through generations. His children and grandchildren remember setting up trains with Grandpa, making train noises, and spending hours tinkering in the garage, discovering how things worked and learning how to fix them.

But more than trains, “Pop pop” was famous for his wonderfully expressive readings of Winnie-the-Pooh, Dr. Seuss, and Thomas the Tank Engine, complete with voices and sound effects. There were horseback rides, wrestling matches on the living room floor, and delighted children flying through the air before landing on the sofa. Warren had a way of making ordinary moments into memories his children and grandchildren would carry for a lifetime.

He was also an anchor for his family, supporting, caring, showing up, bringing everyone together and making sure there were always new adventures to share. His children knew they were loved and have fond memories of vacations in state park cabins with grandparents, trips through New England, and an unforgettable three-week journey across the American West. As the family grew, annual gatherings at lake houses, beaches, and mountain retreats became treasured traditions. Days were filled with waterskiing, miniature golf, cornhole, and adventures outdoors, while evenings brought campfires, laughter, and late-night games around the table.

Through it all, Warren gave his family something that cannot be wrapped in a package or measured in dollars. He gave them time together. He created traditions, made memories, lived his faith, anchored them in Truth, and built a family that loved being together.

Warren and Roberta, showed their children that faith was not just something to be talked about, it was something they lived out. An active member of Northwest Chapel Church in Dublin, Ohio, he gave generously of his time and talents, always ready to lend a hand, solve a problem, or tackle another project. His pastor once joked that Warren was the man who kept the church standing, a fitting tribute to the countless hours he spent repairing, renovating, and caring for the place where his church family gathered. He also served with the Gideons and was Treasurer for Child Evangelism Fellowship.

In many ways, Warren never stopped being that curious little boy who loved working alongside his father. He spent a lifetime learning, building, fixing, and figuring things out. But somewhere along the way, he discovered that the most important things he could build weren't made of wires, motors, or steel.

They were built through faithfulness, through love, through showing up, and through investing in the people God had placed in his life.

And those are the things that remain.

His legacy lives in the faith he passed down, the family he brought together, the grandchildren who still remember the sound of his train whistle, and the countless lives touched by a man who was always willing to lend a hand.

Warren is survived by his beloved wife, Roberta Arlene Ashton; his five children, Stephen Ashton; Alicia and her husband, Michael Alfred; Heidi and her husband, Andrew Boutell; Eileen and her husband, Nathan Henderson; and Joy and her husband, Michael Andereck; and his eighteen grandchildren:

Josiah, Jonathan, Nathaniel, Benjamin, Carter, Grant, Luke, Sam, Graeson, Kaetlinn, Cooper, Brynley, Taylor, Rylee, Hannah, Emily, Elijah, and Norah.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, November 14, 2026, at Northwest Chapel Church, 6700 Rings Road, Dublin, Ohio 43016. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m., followed by the service at 11:00 a.m.

Family and friends are invited to gather in the church Warren loved and helped keep standing to celebrate a life well lived and a man deeply loved.