Ashley Tims Obituary (1986 - 2023) - Beaufort, South Carolina

On July 15th 1986, our world changed with the birth of our wonderful daughter, Ashley Elizabeth Marks-Tims. We had no idea how large our hearts could grow; endless, with no boundaries. On February 24th 2023, the world stopped spinning when we lost our wonderful daughter. We had no idea how deep the pain could be; also endless, with no boundaries. In her all too short time on earth, she lived, she loved, she cried. She made a difference. Today we choose to honor her by sharing cherished memories of who Ashley is to us. We invite you to do the same. Ashley cannot be described simply. She was complex. She was… Compassionate If you needed her, she knew before you did. She felt what you felt, and she would do anything for you. A hard worker She loved her current job and the people she worked with. No office for her; give her a barn, horses, the smell of manure, and she was happy. She loved her latest project, bottle-feeding an abandoned foal. Resourceful Ashley believed that nothing is ever deemed to be thrown away. Everything can be repurposed. She had such a creative mind and would always say, “Don’t throw that away! I can make something new out of that!” And she always did just that. Our running joke was that if we wanted to throw anything out, it had to be after she left home and before she returned. If it was broken, with a little bit of research and a few YouTube videos, she could fix it. It didn’t matter if it was a broken buckle on a dog collar or her truck; she always put it back together better than ever. Resilient No matter what the world threw at her, she never said, “Why me?” She always picked up the pieces and moved on. Ashley had a serious riding accident while training with the eventing team in college. At 19, she underwent a hip replacement and required a steel plate to replace her shin bone. Her first question to the doctor, from a wheelchair: "When can I start riding again?” An Explorer She was excited by history, her nose in a book, always doing research. She studied and found Civil War battle sites and Native American Indian sites in South Carolina. Then, armed with her research, she ventured out to the woods to relic hunt. She would spend an entire day walking in the woods, digging thru the earth, uncovering the secrets of the past. Her arrowhead collection is one of the best. The animal whisperer Her dogs and cats, almost all of which are rescues, loved her. Ashley believed that with patience and love, any animal could be healed. It was like she walked around flashing a beacon that said, “If you need someone, here I am!” And they all found her, just showed up! She would selflessly remove 200 ticks from a dog, or tenderly bring the abused, staving dog back to life. But her tenderness and affection wasn’t limited to dogs. She slept in our barn for two weeks caring for a fawn. She sat for hours with a rescue kitten during a storm, quietly talking to it until she gained its trust. She sutured her pet turkey, Lefty, after an animal attack, and he's still going strong! Her most recent project was recovering and splinting a pigeon with a wing almost torn off. He is now one happy bird. A Wonderful Woman You know the saying: you need to kiss a few frogs to find your prince. She found the love of a good man, Marion, who adored her. This is our Ashley She was exceptionally smart, funny, and stubborn. She found joy in the simple things: a sunset, a sunrise, picking wildflowers along the side of the road, fishing off the dock with a couple of her dogs, a good cup of coffee, and doughnut holes from D&D. She shared her love of nature with the world through her breathtakingly beautiful photographs (she turned into quite the photographer). She loved to travel, hike, ride, fish, hunt, and music. And you can’t forget to mention her love for mac n’ cheese and M&M’s (HEMS, as she called them since a baby). She loved her family and close circle of friends: you know who you are- the list is too long to place here. There is nothing we can do to fill the void she left when she passed. But those of us who love her can remember her for eternity and continue to keep her beautiful spirit alive. I love you, my sweet pea, Mom and Dad. In lieu of flowers, consider making a contribution to AikenEquineRescue.org or the Hilton Head Humane Society (HHHumane.org).