By CRAIG BASSE, Times Obituaries Editor
Published June 16, 2005
ST. PETERSBURG - Richard L. Ashton, the city's finance director for more than two decades, has died at 72.
Mr. Ashton, who earlier served the city as its internal auditor and controller, died Tuesday (June 14, 2005) at home under care of the Hospice of the Florida Suncoast.
He stepped down from the controller's post in 1968 to become chief accountant for Imperial Household Shipping Co. of Los Angeles, which had a Southeast regional headquarters here. He also worked for Hav-A-Tampa Corp.
Eleven years later, he was picked by Raymond E. Harbaugh, then the city manager, from about 50 applicants to become finance director, supervising virtually all the city's money matters, including accounting, payroll, investments and bonds. He retired in 2000.
Born in Umatilla, he moved here in 1957 from Leesburg. He graduated from the University of Florida. He was a Korean War Air Force lieutenant. He was a member of St. Luke's United Methodist Church and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Survivors include his wife of 50 years, Barbara; a son, Jeffrey L., Orlando; three daughters, Cindy Smith and Judy Farero, both of Seminole, and Barbara Klein, Largo; three sisters, Darlene Head, Arcadia, Anita Katz, Orlando, and Sandra Helmick, Corvallis, Ore.; and nine grandchildren.
A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Lewis W. Mohn Funeral Home, 9700 Seminole Blvd., Seminole. The family suggests memorial contributions to Hospice Foundation of the Florida Suncoast, 300 East Bay Drive, Largo, FL 33770.
Information from Times files was used in this obituary.
