In Tribute...

< All Tributes

Debbie Bushlen

Donate
Login

Debbie Bushlen, a beloved nurse, educator, and community leader, passed away peacefully in Bend, Oregon, on June 17, 2025. She leaves behind a legacy of compassion, innovation, and tireless dedication to others.

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on March 11, 1955, Debbie followed her calling to serve others by earning her nursing degree from Marquette University in 1976. In 1977, she moved to Oregon, where she served as Director of Nursing in La Grande, Oregon, for 15 years
and contributed her expertise to the Health Care Board. For over two decades, Debbie
specialized in infectious disease control as a nursing educator, mentoring countless
students and professionals while advancing healthcare practices through her wisdom
and heart. Debbie and her husband, Bill, shared a deep love for the outdoors and spent
many joyful years in Joseph, Oregon, where they found peace and beauty by the lake.

Her leadership extended far beyond her professional roles. While living in Wallowa
County, Debbie was elected to the Board of Rural Fire Protection and served with
distinction as a visitor for the Union County Judiciary Courts. In 2015, after Bill suffered a
major stroke, they moved to Bend, where she lovingly cared for him and continued her
community service.

In 2016, Debbie co-founded the nonprofit Stroke Awareness Oregon, offering
professional expertise and advocating for caregiver support. She launched a dedicated
support group and created a program connecting stroke survivors with gently used
medical equipment—saving families thousands of dollars and filling a critical need with
her characteristic grace and ingenuity. Debbie was a natural leader who approached
every challenge with compassion and courage.

She remained a trusted voice and pillar in every community she touched. Known for her
warmth, kindness, and unwavering commitment to others, Debbie truly made the world
a better place.

Debbie is survived by her devoted husband of 33 years, Bill Bushlen; her beloved
brother and only sibling, Dennis (Beverley) Pahlisch of Bend, Oregon; and her cherished
nephews, Joshua, Daniel, and Phillip, each of whom held a special place in her heart. She
will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her.

A celebration of life will be held on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00
p.m. at The Hanai at the intersection of Eagle Road and Neff Road in Bend, Oregon.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to Stroke Awareness
Oregon in Debbie’s memory.

 

Leave a comment

Become a STROKE CHAMPION for only $18 per month!

JOIN TODAY

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!