James L. Ash, 72, of Rock Island passed away Thursday, June 19, 2014 at St. Mary's Hospital, Rochester, Minn.

Funeral services are 11:00 a.m. Tuesday at St. John's Lutheran Church, Rock Island. Burial is at Memorial Park Cemetery, Rock Island. Visitation is 4 to 7 p.m. Monday at Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home, Rock Island. Memorials may be made to a favorite charity.

Jim was born on May 13, 1942 in Moline, the son of Lynn and Alice Anderson Ash. He married Marsha Blunt Piehl on July 12, 2003 in Rock Island.

Mr. Ash graduated from Augustana College with a B.A. in Economics in 1964. He played basketball at Augustana and was Vi King. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a MBA in Hospital Administration in 1966 and did his residency at New York City Hospital in 1967. Jim served in the United States Public Health Service from 1967 to 1969. He was assistant Director of the University of Florida Medical Center and Assistant Professor from 1969 to 1971 in Gainesville, Fla. He was President of Evanston Northwestern Hospital, Evanston, Ill. and from 1985 to 2003 served as President/CEO of Cottage Health Systems, Santa Barbara, Calif.

Jim served on the Board of Directors of the Augustana College Alumni Association and Alternative for Older Adults, Moline. He was a Life Fellow of the American College of Health Care Executives and a Life Member of the California Hospital Association. Jim served on the Blue Cross of California Board of Directors, was a former President of the Health Directors Society and a member of the Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce.

He is survived by his wife, Marsha; daughters, Barbara (Will) Gonzales, Santa Barbara, Calif., Wendy (Marc) Mirisch, Thousand Oaks, Calif. and Carolyn (Toby) Kepner, St. Louis, Mo.; stepsons, Greg (Debbie) Piehl, Rock Island, Robert Piehl, Indianapolis, Ind. and Thomas (Tiffany) Piehl, Coal Valley; 13 grandchildren; and a sister, Carolyn Weinstein, Peoria. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Online condolences may be left at wheelanpressly.com.