Ashley Shandrel Luther
April 15, 1988 – March 1, 2019
Ashley was born in Regina on April 15, 1988 on her father Cliff’s 33rd birthday “the best gift ever.”
Ashley enjoyed her childhood growing up with her three brothers on Stillwater Farm near Aylesbury, Sask. She loved animals especially her kittens. There was rarely a photo taken without a kitty in her arms. Ashley loved spending time with her great-uncles Ken and Robert Leslie and her grandparents Myrna and Martin Luther at Riskan Hope Farm and also her grandparents Reg and Alice in Moose Jaw. She attended Craik School for her elementary years, growing up in such a loving community was truly a blessing that made Ashley the caring person that she was. She continued her education at Luther College High School where she enjoyed drama, cheerleading and was an accomplished swimmer, lifeguarding and instructing at Craik Regional Park in the summer. Ashley moved to Vancouver where she became a flight attendant for Sunwing travelling to many exotic destinations while also waitressing at Lucy’s Diner. There she met the love of her life Felix Heide from Germany. Ashley’s time at the ‘50s style diner sparked her interest in pinup modeling and she adopted her pinup name Elly Mayday inspired by a combination of the Beverly Hillbillies T.V. character Elly May Clampett and a nod to her aviation career.
At age 25 Ashley was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Rather than let this news dull her light, she decided it was her time to shine. Ashley was a pioneer modeling with her scars. It was the raw unflinching honesty of these photos that sent them racing virally around the world. Ashley was suddenly thrust into the limelight as an international role model setting the gold standard for body positivity, inspiring women of all ages to love themselves just the way they are. Ashley’s professional modeling career took off and she was signed in NYC, Miami and London U.K. landing the biggest contract of her career with Lane Bryant. Her photos appeared in Times Square, on buses, subways and billboards across the country. Ashley continued to raise awareness. She travelled to Australia and worked with ovarian cancer research and Women’s Weekly and the Ladyballs campaign. She had numerous modeling and speaking engagements across Canada. She received the Virginia Greene achievement award in 2017 honouring her life’s work.
Ashley leaves to celebrate her life and continue her legacy, her parents Deb and Cliff; brothers Dallas (Audrey), Dustin and Clinton; Felix Heide and family in Germany; grandmother Alice; numerous aunts and uncles and cousins. The family would like you to join them in a celebration of Ashley’s life at Aylesbury Hall on Saturday, April 27 at 2 p.m.