- Date Of Birth: August 26, 1990
- Date Of Death: October 8, 2017
- State: Colorado
Samuel Thomas, Sr., and Sandra Leopold. He was the third child born in his family. He was raised with his sisters, Ayesha, and Ashley. He also enjoyed spending vacations and other eventful times with his brothers, Samuel, Jr., Brian; his sisters, Corrinda, Sharhonda, and his god brother, Zavier Martin. Ashland enjoyed spending quality time with all his family. His family remembers him as a child loving to play sports, understanding the importance of education. Ashland was passionate about his education. As a youth, Ashland attended the Montview, and Green Valley Ranch Elementary schools, Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School, and the Denver School of Science and Technology for High School. While in high school, Ashland qualified to participate in the Pre-Collegiate Study Course through Metropolitan State College earning him college credits while he was still in high school. After graduating from high school, Ashland continued his education by attending Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, Colorado. He was awarded many academic scholarships for his scholarly accomplishments in math and science. He completed his Associates Degree of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering. Ashland was working on his Bachelors in Engineering, but was unable to complete it. In his free time, he would ask his mother to get up early on Saturday morning to drive miles away to play in Chess Competitions. As they drove, his mother remembers thinking, “When did he learn how to play chess?” He loved swimming, playing video games, football, soccer, and basketball.
