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Bill and Debbie Bushlen

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William “Bill” Bushlen and Deborah “Debbie” Bushlen, devoted partners in life, love, and service, are now reunited in eternal peace. Their legacy is one of compassion, resilience, and a deep commitment to making the world a better place

Bill built a remarkable career in real estate, serving as a Territory Manager, Co-Owner, Developer, Sales Manager, and International Sales Manager. His accomplishments earned him numerous awards and the respect of his peers but it was his integrity, generosity, and humble strength that left the greatest mark.

Outside of work, Bill was a man of creativity and adventure. He found joy in photography, woodworking, and crafting custom furniture. He loved being outdoors, boating, fishing, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing in the mountains he cherished..

Debbie, born March 11, 1955, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, passed away on May 17, 2025, in Bend, Oregon. She was a lifelong caregiver and trailblazer in healthcare. After earning her nursing degree from Marquette University in 1976, she moved to Oregon, where she became Director of Nursing in Portland and served on the Health Care Board for 15 years. She later specialized in infectious disease control and nursing education, mentoring countless professionals with her wisdom and heart.

Beyond her professional achievements, Debbie’s leadership reached deep into the community. From serving on the Rural Fire Board in Wallowa County to being a court-appointed visitor in Union County, she gave her time and energy wherever it was needed. In 2015, after Bill suffered a major stroke, the couple moved to Bend, where Debbie cared for him with unmatched love and dedication.

In 2016, Debbie volunteered with Stroke Awareness Oregon, where she brought her expertise to life. She established caregiver support groups and launched a medical equipment donation program that helped countless stroke survivors.

Together, Bill and Debbie were powerful team partners in marriage for 33 years and champions of service and generosity. Their love story was grounded in respect, shared purpose, and unwavering support for one another. They were known for their warmth, integrity, and the lives they changed through quiet but powerful acts of kindness.

Debbie is survived by her brother, Dennis Pahlisch (Beverly) of Bend, Oregon, and was a loving aunt to her nephews Joshua, Daniel, and Phillip. Bill and Debbie’s impact will continue to ripple through all who knew and loved them.

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Story Preview | A DRIVING FORCE – Alesha Goodman

by Jake Sheaffer

“I once threw a canister of my supplement powder at the wall and dented it. That’s something I can’t imagine ever doing before my stroke, but it’s just another part
of my recovery to work on.”

______________________________

On an early October weekend in 2019, Alesha Goodman and her longtime boyfriend Drew hiked over 50 miles of rugged desert landscape in the Ochoco National Forest in Central Oregon. They were on a nine-day hunting trip they’d been planning for months. While Drew streaked up the steep slopes of sagebrush and loose rock, Alesha tarried behind breathing heavily, fighting the searing pain radiating from the base of her skull. An active thirty-four-year-old who frequented local gyms, walked her dog daily, and hiked on weekends, Alesha never suspected the severe neck pain and nausea she’d had for the past week and a half were signs of an impending stroke. And not just one stroke, but two. Two potentially fatal strokes that would occur within an hour of each other the day after she returned from the Ochocos.

An only child, Alesha was close to her parents and her grandmother who lived on her parents’ property later in life. As a kid, she delivered newspapers in her Bend, OR neighborhood, and in her spare time, she wrote children’s books for fun and read voraciously, prompting close friends to refer to her as a “living encyclopedia of odd information.”

On the Monday morning after she got home, Alesha sat in traffic at a parkway off -ramp, still in discomfort from the neck pain and the nausea. She had new symptoms, too, dizziness and feeling faint. Regardless of the pain, she readied herself for work, but she had an uneasy feeling about her job.

Over the weekend, Alesha had received multiple text messages from her employer, a jewelry company in Central Oregon, about an issue with her company email and password, but with no cell reception, she couldn’t respond to her manager’s concerns. After searching through Alesha’s desk for her email password and not finding it, but instead finding an important legal document she’d already dealt with but had not yet disclosed to her boss, the company hired a specialist to get around the digital safeguards. That day, Alesha was let go from her position.

Purchase the Book to Learn More About Alesha’s Journey!