Ashley's Foundation

Parents design memorial to daughter

METAIRIE-PICAYUNE, Sunday, June 3, 2007

Peterson Harter, a graduate of St. Martin's Episcopal School, stared at the photograph of Ashley Conroy sitting in a boat on the Ganges River in India.

"Ashley was always adventurous, the one who always knew what she wanted to do with her life," Harter said.

Harter was remembering his fellow classmate, who graduated with him from St. Martin's in 2003, at an exhibition of Ashley Conroy's artwork held last month on the school campus. The program was given in her honor by her parents, Stephen Conroy and Cynthia Schmidt.

Ashley is also the stepdaughter of Christine Marks Conroy and Leonard Frederick Schmidt III.

Last year when she was a junior at the College of Charleston, Ashley spent her second semester abroad in a three-month program called "From Brahma to Buddha: Cultures of the Indian Himalayas and the Ganges River." Her family said she wanted to learn the traditions and spiritual beliefs in India, something she had a deep passion for.

But on March 11, 2006, Ashley fell to her death from a rooftop meditation site at a Buddhist retreat center. She was 21.

To keep her spirit alive, her family set up the Ashley Soulé Conroy Foundation.

"Ashley was an amazing person who touched everyone she met," Stephen Conroy said. "She was laid back, funny, artistic, kind and loving. Ashley loved the whole world and everyone in it. Our family wanted to create this nonprofit foundation in memory of her."

The foundation's mission is to create a permanent endowment to award scholarships to qualified students who wish to study abroad in India and other countries based on their financial needs and other factors.

"The reception at St. Martin's was an opportunity for people to see Ashley's artistic talents for which she was always so modest about," her father explained. "And more importantly, it gave friends and family a chance to remember and pay tribute to Ashley, whose life touched so many others in so many positive ways."

Christine Sauer, Ashley's art teacher at St. Martin's, said, "Ashley was a wonderful and serious art student who was eager to learn everything she could about art."

One of Ashley's last drawings in India was a painting of the lotus flower which is now the symbol of her foundation.

Julie Henson remembered how Ashley helped her during her freshman year at the College of Charleston.

"Ashley was by my side during my entire first week at college," Henson said. "She reached out to me in a genuine way and made my adjustment to college life easy. You could tell she was a caring person."

Besides her parents and stepparents, Ashley is survived by her sisters Brooke, Emma and Lilyon Conroy.

Cynthia Schmidt said she was "overwhelmed by those who attended the reception."

"There was a magical mix of people who knew Ashley from many different walks of life," Schmidt said. "The gift of grace from this event is that they all came to see Ashley's immense talent in an area of her life about most people were unaware of. Ashley was a bright and incredibly loving person with a true joie de vivre. She will be missed forever.

"We heal by doing for others and Ashley's foundation is one of the many ways that we hope to heal as well as to pass on her infectious love of and appreciation for life."

Donations for the Ashley Soule Conroy Foundation can be sent to Paul Navarro in care of AmSouth Bank, 3525 North Causeway Blvd., Metairie.

By Hope Mazzeno
Contributing writer

		Parents design memorial to daughter METAIRIE-PICAYUNE, Sunday, June 3, 2007 Peterson Harter, a graduate of St. Martin's Episcopal School, stared at the photograph of Ashley Conroy sitting in a boat on the Ganges River in India. "Ashley was always adventurous, the one who always knew what she wanted to do with her life," Harter said. Harter was remembering his fellow classmate, who graduated with him from St. Martin's in 2003, at an exhibition of Ashley Conroy's artwork held last month on the school campus. The program was given in her honor by her parents, Stephen Conroy and Cynthia Schmidt. Ashley is also the stepdaughter of Christine Marks Conroy and Leonard Frederick Schmidt III. Last year when she was a junior at the College of Charleston, Ashley spent her second semester abroad in a three-month program called "From Brahma to Buddha: Cultures of the Indian Himalayas and the Ganges River." Her family said she wanted to learn the traditions and spiritual beliefs in India, something she had a deep passion for. But on March 11, 2006, Ashley fell to her death from a rooftop meditation site at a Buddhist retreat center. She was 21. To keep her spirit alive, her family set up the Ashley Soulé Conroy Foundation. "Ashley was an amazing person who touched everyone she met," Stephen Conroy said. "She was laid back, funny, artistic, kind and loving. Ashley loved the whole world and everyone in it. Our family wanted to create this nonprofit foundation in memory of her." The foundation's mission is to create a permanent endowment to award scholarships to qualified students who wish to study abroad in India and other countries based on their financial needs and other factors. "The reception at St. Martin's was an opportunity for people to see Ashley's artistic talents for which she was always so modest about," her father explained. "And more importantly, it gave friends and family a chance to remember and pay tribute to Ashley, whose life touched so many others in so many positive ways." Christine Sauer, Ashley's art teacher at St. Martin's, said, "Ashley was a wonderful and serious art student who was eager to learn everything she could about art." One of Ashley's last drawings in India was a painting of the lotus flower which is now the symbol of her foundation. Julie Henson remembered how Ashley helped her during her freshman year at the College of Charleston. "Ashley was by my side during my entire first week at college," Henson said. "She reached out to me in a genuine way and made my adjustment to college life easy. You could tell she was a caring person." Besides her parents and stepparents, Ashley is survived by her sisters Brooke, Emma and Lilyon Conroy. Cynthia Schmidt said she was "overwhelmed by those who attended the reception." "There was a magical mix of people who knew Ashley from many different walks of life," Schmidt said. "The gift of grace from this event is that they all came to see Ashley's immense talent in an area of her life about most people were unaware of. Ashley was a bright and incredibly loving person with a true joie de vivre. She will be missed forever. "We heal by doing for others and Ashley's foundation is one of the many ways that we hope to heal as well as to pass on her infectious love of and appreciation for life." Donations for the Ashley Soule Conroy Foundation can be sent to Paul Navarro in care of AmSouth Bank, 3525 North Causeway Blvd., Metairie. By Hope Mazzeno Contributing writer
		© 2006 The Ashley Soule Conroy Foundation. All rights reserved. The Ashley Soulé Conroy Foundation is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization within the meaning of Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.