John "Gary" Ashworth

John “Gary” Ashworth was born on January 25, 1952, to Forney John Ashworth, Jr. and Mildred Richardson Ashworth at Crawford W. Long Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. He passed away on March 10, 2026, at Brookdale Assisted Living in North Richland Hills, Texas.

Gary spent his early years in Atlanta, attending Sky Haven Elementary School and graduating from Walker High School in 1970. He continued his education at Dekalb County Junior College before enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1971. Stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, aboard the USS Mount Whitney, he spent two years of active duty traveling the Mediterranean Sea, an experience he recounted with great fondness for the rest of his life. After his active duty, he fulfilled four years in the Naval Reserve in Texas, where his mother and stepfather, Jack Price, had settled with his sister Terri. While working part-time at Arlington Memorial Hospital, he pursued further studies at Tarrant County Junior College and The University of Texas at Arlington.

Gary built a long career in healthcare, serving as Director of Environmental Services and Director of Dietary Services in hospitals across Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. In later years he worked in assisted living and rehabilitation facilities. After retirement, he found special joy working as a seasonal associate at Texas Stadium for Texas Rangers baseball games. A lifelong sports enthusiast, he played baseball, football, basketball, and tennis throughout his youth and remained an avid fan of the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Braves, Georgia Tech, Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, Texas Rangers, and the University of Texas at Austin.

Known for his warm and outgoing nature, Gary was the life of the party with friends spanning from kindergarten through the present day. He loved meeting new people, listening to their stories, laughing, and joking. Music held a central place in his life; he enjoyed jazz, rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and country, always played loud. He attended the Atlanta Rock Festival and saw many legendary artists in concert with friends and his sister Terri. In his final years, he could often be found in his recliner, listening to his extensive collection of cassettes and CDs while quietly reminiscing.

Gary was married twice, both ending in divorce, and cherished his time with his three stepchildren. A lifelong Christian, he accepted Jesus Christ as his savior as a boy at Moreland Avenue Baptist Church in Atlanta and remained a charter member of New World United Methodist Church in Arlington.

He was preceded in death by his father, Forney John “Bud” Ashworth, Jr., his brother Steve Ashworth, Sr., his stepfather Jack Price, and his mother Mildred “Millie” Price.

Gary is survived by his sister Terri Ashworth Jutras and brother-in-law Michael Jutras, M.D. of Colleyville, Texas; sister-in-law Suzanne Walden Ashworth O’Neal (Bobby) of Cumming, Georgia; stepbrothers Jim Price (Cathy) of Sun City West, Arizona, and Tom Price (Toni) of Blairsville, Georgia; along with many beloved nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and cousins across Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida.