Faye Ashley Straw passed away on July 23, 2023, at the age of 88, in her home in Alpharetta, Georgia.
Faye was born in Hazlehurst, Mississippi (Copiah County) on September 23, 1934, to Alious Simon and (Jaretha) Josephine Thompson Ashley. She graduated from Mississippi College in January of 1955 with a degree in Elementary Education. She became an elementary school teacher, and taught in the Orange County, Florida School System for many years. She later became a pre-school teacher at the First Baptist Church of Orlando Pre-School. She became an Assistant Director there and it was from there that she retired. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Orlando, Florida for fifty-five years and was very involved in the Adult Choir for several decades. When she moved to Alpharetta in March of 2013, she joined the Brite Lites Sunday School Class at the First Baptist Church of Alpharetta, Georgia.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Franklin Delano Straw, of York, Pennsylvania, who passed away in May of 1990. The couple met in Orlando, Florida and were married on June 15th of 1960. They lived in the Orlando area all thirty years of their married life. Faye continued to live in the Orlando area until she moved to Alpharetta, Georgia in March of 2014. Faye was also preceded in death by six sisters and one brother, all of whom lived in Mississippi. (Mary Owens, Thelma Furlow, Milma Wiselogel, Ruth Blackledge, Ann Bone, Sadie Linn, John Ashley)
Faye is survived by her four children, Scott Franklin Straw (Eileen) of Roswell, Georgia, Benjamin Simon (Ben) Straw (Diane) of Davenport, Florida, Elizabeth Faye (Betsy) Straw of Roswell, Georgia, and John Ashley Straw (Debbie) of Parma, Ohio; one brother, William Moses Ashley, of Ridgeland, Mississippi; four grandchildren Randy Straw (Jenn) of Woodstock, Georgia, Benjamin Straw and Claire Straw of Davenport, Florida, and Joshua Straw of Parma, Ohio.
A celebration of life service will be held on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, at Cottonwood Estates, Alpharetta, Georgia, and she will be laid to rest beside her husband in the Hazlehurst, Mississippi City Cemetery on Friday July 28, 2023, after a graveside service.
In lieu of flowers, the family would encourage donations to Gentiva Hospice Care as a way of helping us thank them for their care of Faye during her final months. Faye was also a supporter of Samaritan’s Purse.
