Robert Mark Ashcraft

Pittsford: Sunday, April 8, 2018. Passed away in hospice care at the Rochester Jewish Home, holding the hands of his sons. He will be greatly missed by his family: Sara, his wife of 44 years, and his two sons, Franklin (Rochester, NY) and Alexander (Medford, MA); brothers, Phillip Ashcraft (Martha Ashcraft) of Glenelg, MD and Stephen Ashcraft of Lexington, KY; sister-in-law, Kimberly Frier (Blair Frier) of Columbus, OH; nieces, Emily McMillian (J.G. McMillian) and Heather Ashcraft; nephews, David Ashcraft (Kim Ashcraft), Nathan Ashcraft, and Sean Ashcraft, and Bob’s devoted Boston Terrier, Bailey. He will also be missed by the numerous friends he collected everywhere he went. His genuine kindness, fun-loving personality, clever wit, and his ability to magically suspend a teaspoon from his nose will be long remembered. Bob’s parents, Mary Jo and Carl Ashcraft and Bob’s brothers, Gregory Ashcraft and Michael Ashcraft proceeded him in death. Bob was born in West Virginia and grew up there in Charleston. He graduated from Concord University in Athens, WV, with a degree in mathematics and computer science. He worked in software technology for many years, first in colleges and universities, then for Rochester-based Information Associates and related companies, where he developed and implemented student and financial systems. Through Bob’s work, the family moved from Charleston, WV to Dallas, TX to Herndon, VA, and finally to the Rochester area. However, no matter where he lived, Bob was always a fan of the Dallas Cowboys. At the age of 60, Bob was stricken with Primary Progressive Aphasia, a form of Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD), a little known, but unfortunately not rare, neurological disease. The form Bob had robbed him of his ability to speak and to comprehend language and eventually took away his ability to move-a terrible loss for a man who always loved to compete in sports and who rarely sat still for very long. The disease even robbed him of his ability as a top-rate amateur chef who was always trying new recipes and whose wonderful cookies were loved by everyone. A Funeral Mass will be held Saturday, April 14th at 10:00 a.m. at St. John of Rochester Church, 8 Wickford Way, Fairport, NY. Instead of calling hours, the family invites you join them in celebrating Bob’s life at a reception at Flaherty’s Three Flags Inn, 113 Pittsford-Palmyra Road, Macedon, NY, following the service. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (theaftd.org) or to Literacy Volunteers of Rochester (literacyrochester.org).