Alison Ann Bernard

Mrs. Alison Ann Bernard passed away on December 31, 2025, leaving a legacy of service, creativity, and steadfast love. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Alison was the definition of an organized leader and a creative homemaker—someone who saw what needed doing and did it beautifully. She approached every day with optimism, often declaring it “another beautiful day in Florida,” a spirit that infused her home, church, and community. Whether guiding a room full of volunteers, hemming a costume late into the night, or filling a table for family and friends, Alison was the quiet force who made moments special and people feel seen.

As a woman of faith and action, Alison poured her talents into the Presbyterian Church and the Women’s Presbytery, where her steady leadership set a high standard. Her service to each congregation was so impactful that she was honored with its lifetime achievement award more than once as she moved and served new church homes. She led Girl Scout and Cub Scout troops—three at once at one point—with the same blend of warmth, structure, and fun that made young people feel capable and cherished. A lifelong maker, Alison stitched nearly all her own clothes, favoring her signature ruffled collars, and created costumes for theater productions, skating and chorus groups, and majorettes. She wrote her own cookbook and planned generous church banquets, turning “massive amounts” of gourmet food into moments of fellowship. In the garden, in the kitchen, at a sewing table—wherever she was planted—she bloomed.

Above all, Alison was the most devoted mother and champion her family could imagine—always in their corner, always steady. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Donald. She is survived by her children: Marcy Fuller, with whom she lived, and son-in-law George, and their sons Chad, Beau, Sam, and Corey; Tracy Harkins of North Carolina and her children Katy (Logan), Suzy (Perrell), Michael (Reannah), and Cary; and her son, Kirk Bernard (Dawn) of Virginia, and grandchildren J.D. (Megan) and Anne Marie. Alison’s joy multiplied with her great-grandchildren: Kya, Shamar, Evelynn, Penley, and Aurora. Her cherished cats, Quill and Stripey, were faithful companions.

Those who knew Alison will remember her taking charge with grace, making beauty with her hands, and improving every place she touched. Her favorite reminder, “Bloom where you are planted,” continues to guide the family and friends she loved so well. A celebration of Alison’s life will be shared at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Cat Protection Society of Eustis, Florida, honoring her affection for animals. She absolutely left the world better than she found it, and her light endures in the lives she helped shape.