July 21, 1983 - March 13, 2023
With sadness but anchored by the tremendous love in our hearts, we announce the death of our dearly missed, greatly admired and much beloved family member Ashley Doyle.
Wife, daughter, sister, granddaughter, aunt, niece and cousin, as well as a friend to many - far and wide - Ashley lived an admirable and thoughtful life, and she had a deeply profound impact on those who had the great fortune of knowing her well.
Ashley is survived by her adoring husband Mike Boulton, mum Victoria (Dennis), dad BJ, brothers Travis and Nick, stepsister Angela and many other cherished family members and friends, including her niece and nephew Keelia and Hudson, with whom she enjoyed an extra special bond.
A long-time resident of Roberts Creek, Ashley loved her surroundings and the sweet home she shared with Mike - always happy together and forever at one another’s side.
She was kind, compassionate, creative and wise. A self-described dreamer and shower singer (but really could sing - so well), Ashley was also a talented artist, writer and graphic designer who loved music and had a natural ability to play piano, ukulele and guitar. She loved animals, especially all of the pets she ever had.
Ashley loved the beauty of nature and she thrived outdoors. The beaches in Roberts Creek were among her happiest places, and those in and around Tofino were the most special in Ashley’s heart - they were the site of many joyous visits throughout her life, ever since she was three.
After facing hereditary genetic breast cancer since 2012, the diagnosis was met with courage and determination, as Ashley responded with great focus and did everything in her power to live a healthy life. She was declared cancer-free after five years, but soon after that was told (sadly, on her birthday) of a cancer recurrence, this time at the incurable stage 4.
Cancer was a reality Ashley faced for 11 years, but she did not face it alone, and she was a dedicated advocate for herself and others. In 2013, she co-founded the Ruby Slipper Cancer Support Group on the Sunshine Coast (a project created through the Ruby Slipper Fund). Ashley also co-founded a special initiative called Alive2Thrive, to provide peer support within the cancer community. This effort was highlighted by two retreats on the Sunshine Coast, with participants coming from as far away as Boston, Massachusetts.
Her advocacy and support efforts for young adults facing cancer extended also to social media, creating communities in which she had a high level of participation - though in later years she largely kept her stage 4 diagnosis a secret, so as to not discourage those at less advanced stages.
However, she became a strong public proponent of testing for hereditary cancer, which involved Ashley devoting a lot of time and energy toward educating others as a means of raising awareness. Her staunch advocacy in this regard began after learning she tested positive for a hereditary mutation of the PALB2 gene. Ashley was passionate about people getting informed. She encouraged loved ones and the general public to learn about it, get tested, help themselves and their families.
Due to her good nature and loving heart, Ashley had many friends and supporters - simply too many to name - but please know that you were invaluable to Ashley, enriched her life and provided both comfort and joy.
Special thanks to the many members of Ashley’s medical teams in Vancouver and on the Sunshine Coast, as they provided a great amount of care, compassion and professionalism.
Donations in Ashley’s name are deeply appreciated and can be directed to the Callanish Society at www.Callanish.org in Vancouver and the Sechelt-based Ruby Slipper Fund at www.rubyslipperblackbootfund.com
Details of Ashley’s Celebration of Life will be shared at a later date - look for an announcement on Facebook and Instagram.
