His father, James Henry Ashrow (born in Russia in 1888-died in Portland, OR on February 20, 1955 at the age of 67), and his mother, Edith (Born in Russia in 1888-died in Portland, OR on June 23, 1961 at the age of 73, were both Russian Jews. He immigrated to the U.S. from Russia in 1910. She immigrated in 1912. They were both naturalized in 1918. He worked as a secretary in a marine factory in Portland, OR.