By Vivian DiSalvo (Class of 2026)
On Feb. 23, Ashley Curl (’16) faced a massive blizzard in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, just as she was preparing to travel to Knoxville for the 40 Under 40 Awards ceremony, where she was being honored. Little did she know, her boyfriend, Chuck Martinsen, had another motive as to why they needed to travel to Knoxville.
The blizzard was no small feat for the couple. Gusts of wind reached 60-80 miles per hour, and more than 30 inches of snow fell. The wind was so strong that a large tree fell on their home, damaging the ceilings in two of their bedrooms and destroying their roof. Eight other trees fell on their property.
With the weather conditions so severe, it was impossible to get someone out to repair the damage. But Chuck was determined to get them to Tennessee for his special surprise. As a first responder, he went out in the three feet of snow himself, patching up the house and using a saw to cut the fallen tree.
The couple pushed their flight back a day to take care of the house, as they had also lost power, with no estimated time of renewal. With a cat at home and the ongoing risk of pipes freezing, traveling to Tennessee was becoming more difficult by the minute.
But, at last, the universe was on their side, and their power was restored at 11:00 p.m. the night before their flight. Chuck plowed the snow until 4:00 a.m. and the two headed to the airport at 5:00 a.m. to make their way to Knoxville.
Ashley and Chuck enjoyed a beautiful 40 Under 40 Awards ceremony and, to Ashley’s surprise, a beautiful proposal. That’s right—Chuck was committed to making this moment special, and he wasn’t going to let a snowstorm stop him. So, on the Neyland Stadium turf, under the beautiful Tennessee sun, he got down on one knee and popped the question.
“We didn’t think we were going to be able to safely make it down, but we did, and it was the best weekend ever,” says Ashley.
The surprises didn’t stop there.
“When his son got out of school Monday, he surprised me by drawing me a note and asking me to be his bonus mom,” she says. “Now he calls me his bonus mom forever and we are so excited to blend our family.”
Ashley is the founder of a nurse-owned, women-led concierge wellness clinic in Massachusetts. She lights the way for many people, and in this moment, her fiancé wanted to light the way for her.
Congratulations, Ashley and Chuck!
