Mary Ashley Hall

Mary Ashley Hall, of Houston, Texas, passed away on Sunday, October 15, 2017, at the age of 48. She was a loyal friend, daughter, sister, aunt, and wife and a devout Roman Catholic.

Born October 18, 1968, in New Orleans, she was raised in Shreveport, Louisiana, where she graduated from St. Mark’s Cathedral School and St. Vincent’s Academy. She also graduated from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, where she studied business and marketing. After learning to speak Japanese at Rhodes, Ashley worked for over a decade in the shipping and oil industries in Japan and Singapore. She returned to Houston in 2001, where she continued to excel in her career, most recently as a Certified Market Technician, Natural Gas Liquids Strategist with Phillips66.

Ashley is survived by her husband, Khaled Almasri; her parents and step-parents, Mary Jane Ridgway and Julius M. Ridgway of Jackson, Mississippi, and Dr. Donald L. Hall and Gwen Hall of Shreveport; her sister and brother-in-law, Courtney Hall Murphy and William Spencer Murphy of New Orleans; her brother and sister-in-law, Donald Clayton Hall and Stuart Crigler Hall of Washington, D.C.; her adoring nieces and nephews, Jane Elizabeth Murphy, Clayton Spencer Murphy, Mary Campbell Hall, Anne Tatum Hall, and Fletcher Graves Hall; and many in her extended family whom she loved. She is predeceased by her grandparents Robert Davis Ray, Mary Lucas Ray, John Evans Hall, and Audrey L. Hall.

Ashley had a vibrant spirit and the kindest of hearts, which made her everyone’s best friend. With her flair for dramatic storytelling, she engaged everyone she met. Ashley was an accomplished world traveler, who found the most beauty in the Earth’s holiest places. She was a truly terrible driver, who loved ripping around town with her windows rolled down and music blaring. She was a devoted aunt, who doted on her nieces, nephews, and godchildren, showering them with love, attention, and too many gifts.

Ashley was a tremendously hard worker and one of the world’s best doers. You wanted her on your side in a time of crisis. She hated unfairness and other people’s pain. A true Chi Omega, Ashley never left the house without her pearls. She loved to entertain and could whip up with equal dexterity a fabulous flower arrangement or the perfect margarita.

Ashley held her faith, family, and friends so very dear. She was her parents’ first beloved child. We will never stop missing her.

Services will be held Saturday, October 21, at noon at St. John Berchmans Cathedral, 939 Jordan Street, in Shreveport, with refreshments to follow in the Parish Hall. There will also be a graveside service handled by Breeland Funeral Home at the Canton, Mississippi, Cemetery at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, October 23, with a reception to follow at Northminster Baptist Church on Ridgewood Road in Jackson. All are welcome. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ashley’s honor to Catholic Relief Services, 877-435-7277 or www.crs.org, or to Catholic Charities, 800-919-9338 or www.catholiccharitiesusa.org.

May God wrap all who are grieving in His comforting arms and grant us His peace, which passes all understanding.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12

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