Sterling Todd Ashby, 48, died peacefully in his sleep after a long struggle with brain cancer on Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. He was born on January 30, 1969 in Philadelphia, Pa. As a child, Mr. Ashby was an avid comic book collector and that interest lead him to create History In Action Toys, a company focused on creating educational toys for young people. Mr. Ashby was a lawyer with expertise in government contracting, corporate finance, governance, commercial lending, regulatory and other corporate matters. He began the practice of law at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where he worked on a broad range of innovative and complex financing and M&A transactions. But his passion was as a person who connected people to opportunities, encouraging friends with similar interests to chat and figure out synergies. He also helped connect non-profits that he cared about with the resources they needed to do their work. He served as the Board Chair for DC Lawyers for Youth; a Board member for Seabury Resources for Aging, Inc.; and as a trustee for the Lehigh University Alumni Board. Mr. Ashby presented at several conferences, meetings, and forums, including those of the Columbia Law School, Milton Hershey School, National Bar Association, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, DC Lean Startup Academy, NSBE and the DC Association of Chartered Public Schools. Mr. Ashby earned his J.D. degree from Columbia University School of Law, following an M.S. in Science and Technology Studies from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a B.S. from Lehigh University in Industrial Engineering. Mr. Ashby is survived by his mother, Theodora Ashby; his sister, Michelle Smalley and nephew, Able Smalley; his sister, Phillipa Ashby; brother-in-law, Malik Benin and a host of other relatives and dear friends. He was preceded in death by his father, John T Frost. Funeral services will be held on Monday December 4, 2017 at St Luke’s Episcopal Church 1514 15th St, NW Washington DC 20005. Viewing will begin at 11:30 a.m. and the service starts at 1 p.m. A repast will follow the service.