Emily Elizabeth Oestreich of Shalimar, Florida, 43, lost her battle with glioblastoma stage 4 brain cancer. Emily departed this earth for her heavenly home on June 24, 2022 at Fort Walton Beach Medical Center surrounded by her loving family. She was born on September 1, 1978, in Hartford, Wisconsin, then the family moved to Shalimar, Florida in December of 1987.
A 1996 Choctawhatchee High School graduate, Emily was a member of the Choctaw marching band. One highlight for her was the band being invited to play at Carnegie Hall in New York. As a student of the University of West Florida, Emily earned two bachelor’s degrees; Public Relations and Criminal Justice. She was a CSI for Okaloosa County Coroner’s office, conducting crime scene investigations and performing autopsies.
Emily was a joy to be around, loving life and making many friends. Having a great sense of humor, she was always ready to play a practical joke on someone.
Serving as a Customer Service Representative with the Okaloosa County Clerk of Courts, this would be Emily's last job; but it was, by far, her favorite job and she loved all the people with whom she worked. Emily will be best remembered for her kindness and willingness to help anyone; even strangers. An example of her generosity was when she listened to a sad story of a customer who was down on their luck and could not pay their electric bill. Emily took it upon herself to pay the bill out of her own pocket, expecting nothing in return and wished the customer well. After hearing this story, we then understood why Emily didn’t have many material things; she was too busy spending her money to help others. Emily was a wonderful daughter and a care giver for her mother; seeing her mother through many calamities, and stitching up many a wound from falls that seem to be commonplace for her mom. Even the doctors were impressed with Emily’s ability to clean and bandage up these wounds.
She is survived by her father, Robert L. Oestreich; mother, Linda L. Oestreich, both of Shalimar, Florida; brother, Michael Oestreich of Crestview, Florida; sister, Amy (Mark) Sallée of Niceville, Florida; nephew, Remington Sallée of Niceville, Florida; and a large relation of aunts, uncles and cousins, whom all live in Wisconsin.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Davis Watkins Funeral Home, 113 NE Racetrack Road, Fort Walton Beach, Florida, 32547, on Wednesday, July 6, 2022, beginning at 6:00 p.m. To view the service and post remembrances, condolences, and photos to the tribute wall, please visit www.daviswatkins.com
We want to thank everyone at the Okaloosa County Clerk of Courts for being so wonderful to Emily. A special thank you to Cathy Clark and Ann Marie Sims for spending many a Sunday doing Emily’s nails and to Isaiah whom Emily loved so much, as if he was her own son.
Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
- Revelation 1:17-18
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment but has passed from death to life.
- John 5:24
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Glioblastoma Foundation, https//www.glioblastomafoundation.org Gliobastoma Donations | Glioblastoma Foundation