Ashley Marie McClure

Ashley Marie McClure was born on August 20, 1985, at Overlook Hospital in Summit, New Jersey. She passed away peacefully on October 9, 2026, and is now in the loving arms of our Savior, Jesus Christ. She leaves behind her parents, Roger and Brenda McClure; her brother and sister-in-law, Christopher and Brittany McClure; her beloved dog, Pippa; and an abundance of friends and co-workers. Her kindness, compassion, and passion for helping others left a lasting impact on countless lives.

Ashley graduated as valedictorian from Northeastern High School in Fountain City, Indiana, in 2004. She was so humble that she did not even tell us she was valedictorian until it was almost time to graduate. She attended Indiana University, where she majored in education. While there, Ashley was a Division I collegiate athlete on the women’s rowing team. She competed at the 2005 Big Ten Rowing Championships as the “stroke” of Indiana’s first novice crew. Ashley earned a scholarship to teach in Ireland during the final months of her senior year at IU, which was an incredible experience for her. She graduated from IU in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in Education. After graduation, Ashley was accepted into the highly selective Teach For America program. She completed her training and was placed in Zachary, Louisiana, where she taught underprivileged children. Ashley had a heart of gold and would buy coats, shoes, and sometimes food for children in need. She would put the clothing and shoes in the lost-and- found box, take the child to the box, and allow them to take what they needed. She did this so the parents would not know she had purchased the items. After teaching for a few years in Zachary, Louisiana, she moved to Baton Rouge, where she taught for a few more years. She later earned a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on Early Childhood Education from Louisiana State University (LSU) in preparation for a teaching job in New York City.

Ashley moved to New York City and became a founding teacher at East Harlem Scholars Academy II, where she taught for six years and two months. She taught kindergarten and subsequently worked for two years as an academic intervention teacher. Ashley received Big Apple Award nominations in 2013 and 2015. In 2015, she received the Core Value Award, which recognizes service, leadership, achievement, and humility. Scholars Academy opened with 106 kindergarten and first-grade students and now has 596 students.

In 2019, Ashley decided to move to North Carolina to be near family. She accepted a job at Green Elementary in Raleigh, where she taught kindergarten and then first grade until 2023. She was deeply loved by students, parents, and staff, which became evident when she was nominated and selected as Teacher of the Year in 2022. In 2023, after 14 years in teaching, Ashley decided to leave the classroom and accepted a job at Book Harvest, a nonprofit in Durham, North Carolina, that promotes literacy. She became Senior Associate Director of Program Implementation, School-Age Initiatives, helping lead the expansion of its “Books on Break” program, which puts books directly into children’s hands. In 2024, PBS North Carolina published an article written by Ashley titled “Ways to Turn Your Home into a Nurturing Literacy Environment.” In 2025, Ashley was promoted to Senior Associate Program Director of Books on Break and Books for K. Her team was responsible for planning an ambitious expansion that sought to make free books available to elementary school students throughout North Carolina and beyond. In May 2026, Books on Break reached another remarkable milestone: its one-millionth book distributed since the program began.

Ashley described her philosophy of teaching in her own words: “I am passionate about making sure that every child feels seen, supported and celebrated for what makes them uniquely themselves.” Ashley wasn’t only teaching children the mechanics of reading. She wanted to help them associate books with happiness, curiosity, independence, and family connection. Through her dedication to education and creating opportunities for others, Ashley made a difference that will continue long after her time here on Earth. Her legacy will live on through the lives she touched, the opportunities she helped create, and the love she shared with those who were blessed to know her. She accepted everyone for who they were.

Ashley loved reading, experimenting with baking recipes to share with the people she loved, spending time with her dog, Pippa, and traveling. She paid attention to the unique details about everyone she cared about and would choose gifts or bake something with those details in mind.

She loved her family passionately and grew closer to Jesus during these last few months. Her loss has left an indescribable and painful void in our lives, but we know she is free from pain and enjoying the glory of heaven.

Please join us as we come together to celebrate the beautiful life of Ashley Marie McClure on November 1, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. at Harbor Church, 2895 US-17, Chocowinity, NC 27817. In celebration of the joy that Ashley spread on this earth, please wear bright attire.

Donations in Ashley’s memory may be made to the following organizations:

https://bookharvest.givevirtuous.com

https://myharborchurch.com

https://www.stjude.org