Kenneth Ashburner
Last updated 19:35, Thursday, 03 April 2008
As an accountant, Ken Ashburner was always on the side of the ‘little people’, the ordinary men and women, in his dealings with the tax authorities.
Joyce Bright, on the other hand, was always on the side of the authorities, for the good reason that she worked for them.
The two met over the counter at the tax office in Carlisle and, despite their differing standpoints, began a relationship which was slightly combative at the start, for obvious reasons.
However, they married and after they had raised their family she went back to work in finance – for her husband and against the tax man!
Kenneth Sheffield Ashburner, who died aged 72, grew up in Scotby, Carlisle, where his mother's family had lived since his grandfather became a inspector on the Carlisle to Settle railway line.
He went to the village school and then to Grosvenor College, in Carlisle before beginning accountancy training with the E J Williams firm.
He later went to work for the well-known accountant in Carlisle and Penrith, N T O’Reilly, before taking a post with the N B Lancaster concern.
Then, with much experience under his belt, he returned to the E J Williams firm in 1987, this time as a partner with Malcolm Uppard, at the Brunswick Street offices.
He was a good accountant, who thoroughly enjoyed what he did. Even when he was in hospital he continued to work, with papers spread all over his bed and he was working up to the day that he died.
He and Joyce married in 1967 and they were together for 39 years, until she died in 2006.
He immersed himself in his work, determined not to let his clients down, but he was never quite the same man again.
He and his wife had lived all their married lives in Wetheral and he was well known in both the local community and further afield, as treasurer for many organisations, including Wetheral Methodist Chapel and Wetheral Village Hall.
Mr Ashburner leaves two daughters and six grandchildren.
His funeral service took place in St Cuthbert’s Church, Greenhead – the church where he had been married – and he was interred in Wetheral with his late wife.
Graeme Kennedy, Carlisle, made the funeral arrangements.
