While I knew his health had not been good in recent months, it was still a shock when I learned Tuesday afternoon about the passing of George Ash Sr.

George died June 3 at the age of 75.

He was probably one of, if not the, longest serving members of Weirton City Council, having a combined 30 years in office. He first took office in 1991, representing the residents of Ward 4 until 2024, with the exception of one term in the early 2000s.

George and I didn’t always get along. In fact, we had our share of conflicts, especially early on in my journalism career.

We butted heads on a regular basis for a while, but, eventually, earned each other’s respect. I still didn’t always agree with his proposals or actions, and I’m sure there were things I did he didn’t like, but we were able to discuss it without argument…or lawyers.

He could be gruff and cantankerous, a bit pushy at times, but, for the most part, he was doing it in a way he felt would be the best method to serve his constituents, being a vocal proponent for their needs and raising awareness of what he thought was most needed in the city.

He did his best to look out for law enforcement and firefighters. During budget times, you could pretty much count on him to propose making the funding available to get the city’s first responders just about anything they wanted.

Veterans, of course, were always at the forefront for him. George served in the Army, was deployed to Vietnam and served with the 101st Airborne Division. He was active with local veterans’ organizations, served as the master of ceremonies for many of Weirton’s Veterans Day and Memorial Day services, and was among those involved in the development and leadership of the Brooke-Hancock Veterans Memorial Park.

I could go through a list of accolades, including his induction in both the Weirton and West Virginia Municipal League halls of fame, but we all get the idea. George’s life was about service.

Any time someone we know is gone, we often find ourselves reflecting on aspects of our own life and how they related to them.

It’s true in this instance, as well.

I began my career at this newspaper in August 2001.

Dean Harris was mayor then, as he is now. Joe Cicchirillo was city manager. Joe DiBartolomeo was the city attorney, although he would leave that post shortly after, stepping back into active-duty military service following the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

The members of council at that time were Charlie Mitchell, Chris Fletcher, John Moore, George Ash, George Kondik, Dave Cline, and D.J. Minella.

I, of course, see Dean on a regular basis now that he’s back in politics, and have heard from Joe Cicchirillo on occasion. Joe DiBartolomeo died last year following a lengthy battle with cancer.

Of those council members – John Moore, Charlie Mitchell, D.J. Minella, and now George Ash – also are no longer with us.

I see George Kondik all the time, as he and I serve together on the Weirton Chamber’s board of directors, and run into Dave Cline on occasion. I’ll typically see Chris Fletcher a couple of times a year, as his work brings him back to the Weirton Municipal Building on occasion.

There have been numerous men and women to sit behind that desk in the last 25 years, but George Ash was almost always there.

The first time I saw him after he retired from office, I told him it was weird not seeing his car parked at the city building when I would arrive to cover a meeting or event.

It’s harder to know I’ll never see it there again.

(Howell, a resident of Colliers, is part of the news staff of The Weirton Daily Times. He can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com or followed on Twitter/X @CHowellWDT)