Ashley Marie Duda

Breaux Bridge- Ashley Marie Duda was given her last rites and received her heavenly wings on March 6, 2020. She was a miracle and angel in her Earthly home and was a hero to many as an organ donor with her passing. A Memorial Service will be held at a later date. Born Ashley Marie Duda on April 6, 1984, the third child and only daughter of Sharyn Duda Scheyd, she opened the hearts and minds of so many. Ashley received her education in Jefferson Parish schools until Hurricane Katrina when Sharyn and Ashley relocated to Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. Ashley then graduated from Breaux Bridge High School. Through her school years, Sharyn always advocated for Ashley to have inclusive opportunities in which she thrived and made many friends. Ashley participated in “Brownies” at her local Girl Scout Troop and received her Catholic Baptism and Confirmation, which was happily celebrated with her family and friends. Ashley was well loved and made a positive influence on the many people she came to be involved with throughout her 36 years. In our relationship with Ashley, we learned what it meant to relate to and to love someone with significant physical and mental challenges who showed unique abilities of expressing and communicating, who made us look deeply into ourselves and examine our attitudes and values of living a life of quality and meaning. Ashley compelled us to look to the future and to dream of a future for our sons and daughters with differing abilities. Through Sharyn’s advocacy and public speaking, in which many times Ashley was present with her Mother, Ashley reached hundreds of people, encouraging others to aim high in their expectations for themselves and their family members with disabilities. Like her Mother, Ashley enjoyed the company of family and friends and support helpers, the close relationships and encouragement within the disability community, community and neighborhood events, especially neighbors who included her home in making holiday decorations and special festivities, fashions and accessories, instrumental music, feeding and watching birds outside her home. She will be dearly missed. She is survived by her loving guardians, Mary "Libby" Banquer and her husband, Mark and their daughter, Alaina Banquer and Stephanie Campo; uncles, David J. Ellis and his wife, Linda, and Bill Ellis and his wife, Tara; and her aunts, Susan Berghan and her husband, Tom, and Pamela Allison and her husband, Michael. She was preceded in death by her mother, Sharyn Scheyd; maternal grandparents, David and Wilhelmina Ellis; and her two brothers, Christopher Ellis Duda and Matthew Conrad Duda. The family would like to extend a special thanks to Alternative Home Care Specialists, Cyd Begnaud, and especially, Gloria Berthelot, who truly loved Ashley as her own child. Gloria has watched over and took exceptional care of Ashley for 12 years. Her love and support given to Ashley will forever be appreciated. Pellerin Funeral Home (337-332-2111) is in charge oTo view on-line obituary, sign guestbook and view video tribute, go to www.pellerinfuneralhome.com