November 4, 1954 ~ May 22, 2026 (age 71)
Russell “Rusty” Reed Alliston came into this world on November 4th, 1954 in Jackson, MS. He quickly became his father’s shadow. Whether it was buying cattle at the stockyards or showing horses, wherever Joe Reed Alliston went, Rusty went.
In 1973 Joe passed away from a heart attack, leaving a hole in Rusty’s life. It wasn’t until Rusty met Betty Wallace in 1987 that he finally began to feel whole again. They married in 1988 and Rusty gained two sisters, Brenda Wolf and Becky Baggett, and their parents, Rachel and T. Wallace.
In 1989, Rusty and Betty welcomed their son, Colton Reed Alliston, then a daughter, Samantha Taylor Alliston in 1994. The family was complete. In 2011, Rusty and his family relocated to Opelika, AL and called it home.
Rusty worked as a respiratory therapist for 42 years. Whether it was in a private practice or a hospital, Rusty always treated his patients with precision and kindness. Rusty never gloated over the countless lives he saved, but he sure was happy to retire in 2019.
Rusty’s wife, Betty, was the love of his life. He asked her out on Thursday, they went on Friday and never missed a day since. When they walked into the room together everyone felt their love. Rusty was adored by all of Betty’s friends. On June 5th, 2026, they would have been married 38 years.
He was a great dad. From 1996-2000 he coached his son’s football and baseball teams. He never missed a ballgame or dance recital for either of his kids. He always gave them the confidence to pursue their next dream and knew how to make them feel better. He knew how to make them laugh, how to take care of them in uncertain times, and said every day he loved them.
Rusty gained a son-in-law in 2019 when his daughter married Chase Bridges. He then became Pappy in 2020 when he welcomed their first daughter, Ellen Russell Bridges, then again in 2024 with the arrival of Elisabeth Rigby Bridges. He was an amazing Pappy to his granddaughters and often said they made his life.
Rusty died on Friday, May 22nd, 2026 from a sudden heart attack. He was a true American underdog. He was a die-hard Atlanta Braves fan, a history buff, a life-long learner, a football nut and a connoisseur of good movies. He always believed you had to take the bad days with the good because the good days far outweighed the bad. He will be deeply missed and forever loved.
Rusty is survived by his wife, Betty Wallace Alliston, his two children, Reed Alliston and Samantha Alliston Bridges (Chase Bridges), his granddaughters, Ellen and Elisabeth Bridges, his mother-in-law, Rachael Wallace, his sister-in-law, Brenda Wolf, and his siblings, Kim Brake, Chris Hitchcock, and Richmond Alliston. Rusty is preceded in death by his father, Joe Reed Alliston, his mother, Mary Ellen Stanley, his father-in-law, Alfred T. Wallace, and his sister-in-law, Becky Baggett.
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