Alison Ellis DeBruhl

.Alison Ellis DeBruhl, of Shalimar, passed away on Saturday, July 11, 2020, following a battle with cancer. She was 70 years old.

Alison was born in Pensacola on January 22, 1950 to Dr. Robert Smith Ellis and Mary Elizabeth Purvis Ellis. After spending her formative years in Starkville, Miss., the family relocated to Niceville where Alison graduated in the Niceville High School Class of 1968. Alison then headed back to Starkville to attend Mississippi State University, returning to the Florida panhandle following her graduation in 1973 to embark on a career in social work.

On October 23, 1982, Alison wed Robert Roosevelt DeBruhl, and the couple made their home in the Poquito Bayou area near Shalimar. The two spent many happy years together, gardening, traveling and cheering on both his Florida State Seminoles and her beloved Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Alison’s life always reflected the passions of her heart, and chief among those was the drive to help those in need - particularly the most vulnerable. Those who knew her best recall a selfless, tender-hearted woman who would do anything for a friend. Alison spent a career in service to others as a social worker, but nothing exemplifies her caring nature better than her life-long commitment to her feline and canine friends.  She tirelessly dedicated herself to the mission of rescuing, fostering and loving cats, and she vigorously promoted spay and neuter programs. The countless hours and personal resources that she poured into this undertaking will be her legacy for years to come.

Alison was preceded in death by her parents, husband, stepmother Minnie Lou Ellis, stepbrother Robert Jeffrey DeBruhl, and stepsister Sharon DeBruhl Reaves.

She is survived by her sister, Margaret Ellis Poythress and husband Charles, of Pensacola; brother Joseph W. Ellis, II, and wife Wendy, of Madison, Miss.; nephews John Jeffrey DeBruhl, Tyler Brown, and William Ellis; and nieces Shannon Smith, Candice Gorynski, Louisa Poythress, Megan Sullivan, Devan Hardy, and Meghan Ellis; as well as numerous cousins and close friends.

The family wishes to extend their sincere gratitude to the professional staff of Brookdale Bluewater Bay and VITAS Healthcare, for their capable and compassionate care through this difficult time.

 The family will hold a Memorial Service at McLaughlin Twin Cities Funeral Home on Saturday, August 1, 2020 from 10:00 ~ 11:00 AM. With Inurnment to follow at Sunset Cemetery Valparaiso, Florida.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Animal Protection League of Okaloosa County at www.okaloosaapl.org, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) at www.aspca.org, or other animal protection organizations.

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