Eric Ashby, 77, of Chattanooga, TN, passed away on August 10, 2026. A memorial service will be held in his honor on Saturday, August 29, at 11 am at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel at 3067 Ooltewah-Ringgold Road, Ooltewah, TN. Friends are invited to stay after the service to visit with the family.
Eric is survived by his wife Florence (Pratt); their children Margaret (Jerrod South), Bonnie (Patrick Gee), William (Lisa Jackson), Nancy (Wade Crapo), Carol (Scott Scharnhorst), Robert (Tessa Tolson), Daniel (Katherine Gooden), Stephen (Rachel Chow), and Carl (Ariane Tomlinson); son-in-law Jared Erickson; and 39 grandchildren. He is also survived by his siblings William Card Ashby, Arda Shields, and Eda Ashby. Eric was preceded in death by his parents William Cropper and Ruth (Card) Ashby, his brother Erin Kay Ashby, and his daughter Anna Erickson.
(Lynn) Eric was born on April 9, 1949, in Salt Lake City, Utah, but lived in Chattanooga most of his life. In 1969-1971 he served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the country of Chile, after which he attended Brigham Young University. There he met Florence Pratt, and they were married on June 25, 1974. A successful entrepreneur, Eric worked as a computer programmer. He was a founding member and the president of Cost Effective Computer Systems until his retirement.
Eric was intelligent, inventive, and fun-loving. A modern Renaissance man, he loved to spend time in his workshop, which he titled “Dreamworks.” There he designed, engineered, and fabricated parts for his many projects and tools to accomplish them, including his much used John Deere 850 tractor.
Eric loved sailing, paddling, boating, and other water activities. He also enjoyed working with the Boy Scouts of America and served as a scoutmaster for many years. He combined these interests through the Cherokee Council's white water program and taught many boys and scoutmasters to canoe and kayak on the Hiwasee River. Even in his later years, he enjoyed paddling the river with his children and grandchildren.
Eric also loved music. He learned to play the piano at a young age and in high school became an accomplished organist. Eric shared his talents freely, accompanying and singing in choirs and church services for many years. He loved classical music, vocal groups with close harmonies, and the uplifting power of good music. He encouraged all of his children to develop their own musical talents as well.
Eric was a life-long member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many church positions, including high councilor, stake patriarch, and sealer in the Atlanta Temple. He and Florence took many trips to be with children and grandchildren for weddings, baby blessings, birthdays, baptisms, and other special events. Eric was a devoted husband and father, a thoughtful and generous friend, and a loving example of Christian service to all. He will be greatly missed, but we know he has returned to his Father in Heaven. Because of our Savior Jesus Christ, we look forward to an eternal reunion with Eric one day.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Humanitarian fund or any other philanthropies of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
For those unable to attend Eric's memorial service in person, here is a link to the Zoom meeting.
Please note that you must enter the passcode below in order to access the Zoom meeting. To join the zoom meeting (https://weberschool.zoom.us/j/84349733844), please use the Meeting ID: 843 4973 3844 and Passcode: 062853 (Please note that the passcode is required.)
The Memorial Service for Eric Ashby will be held at 11 AM Saturday (Eastern Time for the US and Canada), August 29, 2026.
If you would like to share a memory or picture of Eric with the family, please click on the following link:
Eric Ashby Memorial Folder - Google Drive
We thank the Cremation Center of Chattanooga for their assistance to the family at this time.