Dr. Ancil Carruthers, III

Dr. Ancil Carruthers was a devoted husband, father, pharmacist, educator, leader, and man of faith who believed deeply that a life should be spent caring for others. Of all the titles he carried, however, none meant more to him than those he held at home. He was Natalie’s husband and the proud father of Ancil IV, Andrew Sean, and Alaina Cristina. His family was at the center of his life, his plans, and the future he worked tirelessly to build. Ancil built a distinguished career in pharmacy, serving patients as a pharmacist and leading others through roles in management, consulting, and education. As a faculty member at Florida A&M University, he helped educate and influence the next generation of pharmacists. He viewed healthcare as more than medications and prescriptions; to Ancil, it was about people, access, service, and leaving things better than he found them. That same spirit shaped his life outside of pharmacy. Ancil was a builder and a planner, always thinking about opportunities for his children, security for his family, new ventures, and ways to create something that would endure beyond him. Even throughout his illness, he continued looking toward the future. Ancil faced hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma with extraordinary determination. His journey included treatments, hospitalizations, setbacks, a bone marrow transplant, and numerous complications. His oldest son, Ancil IV, became his bone marrow donor, creating a profound bond between father and son during the fight. Cancer changed Ancil’s life, but it never defined the entirety of it. Through hopeful days and difficult ones, he continued to fight. He once compared his journey to a boxing match: sometimes he was winning, sometimes he was against the ropes, but as long as the fight continued, he intended to keep fighting. It was also during this journey that Ancil’s relationship with Jesus Christ grew deeper. He deliberately studied the Gospels, wanting to know Jesus for himself. His faith was thoughtful, honest, and unafraid of questions. He found particular meaning in the father who cried out to Jesus, “I believe; help my unbelief.” Ancil understood a faith that could acknowledge fear and uncertainty while continuing to trust God. Over time, his faith became increasingly centered on a simple conviction: “I just need Jesus.” Ancil loved deeply, laughed often, dreamed boldly, and asked questions relentlessly. He could move from a serious conversation about faith or life into football, cars, houses, finances, Dragon Ball Z, or whatever subject had captured his attention that day. He was curious, determined, intense, hopeful, and unmistakably himself. Above all, Ancil wanted his life to mean something. He wanted to serve people, provide for his family, prepare his children for their futures, and leave behind more than possessions. He wanted his faith to be something he lived, especially when living it was hardest. Ancil leaves to cherish his memory his beloved wife, Natalie Carruthers; his children, Ancil Carruthers IV, Andrew Sean Carruthers, and Alaina Cristina Carruthers; his mother, Sheryl R. Carruthers; his father, Ancil Carruthers Jr.; his grandmother, Dorothy J. Carruthers; his brother, Shane A. Carruthers; his sister, Jacqueline D. Foster (Terrell); his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Tania M. Shirton and Harry Shirton; his godparents, John and Tanya Whitaker; three nieces and two nephews; and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, extended family members, friends, colleagues, students, and patients whose lives he touched. He was preceded in death by his brother, Sean A. Carruthers; his maternal grandparents, Robert Rushing Sr. and Narcissus Rushing; and his paternal grandfather, Ancil Carruthers Sr. Though his family and friends would have gladly chosen many more years with him, the measure of Ancil’s life is not found only in the years he was given, but in what he poured into them: the patients he served, the students he taught, the colleagues and friends he influenced, the family he protected, the children he raised, the woman he loved, and the faith he carried through the hardest fight of his life. His fight is finished, but much of Ancil remains—in his children, in the people he taught and served, and in the family he loved. In the end, Ancil demonstrated the test of true faith: an “even if” faith that trusted God not only for what He could do but continued to trust Him regardless of what He chose to do. A celebration of Ancil’s life will be held at 11:00AM on Saturday, August 29, 2026, at City Church Tallahassee, 3215 Sessions Road. The Celebration of Life will be livestreamed on Saturday, August 29,2026, beginning at 10:45 AM EDT. Watch the Celebration of Life Livestream https://www.youtube.com/live/yAFGeVy1hT0?si=WsNfcB7qsBLla0sn In honor of Ancil’s life and legacy, the family respectfully requests that memorial contributions be made to Ancil’s Vision through MetaVisions or Gift of Life in memory of Ancil Carruthers. Ancil’s Vision – MetaVisions: https://metavisions850.org/ancils-vision or Gift of Life: https://www.giftoflife.org/dc/Ancil Kelly Barber of Bevis Funeral Home (850-385-2193 or www.bevisfh.com) is assisting the Carruthers family with their arrangements.

Dr. Ancil Carruthers, III

October 30, 1986 - August 21, 2026