GRETNA, Va. – Pittsylvania County authorities say Wednesday’s deadly double shooting in Gretna was a murder-suicide.
The investigation into the murder-suicide is continuing and investigators are talking to family and friends about a motive.
Patricia Towler was a registered nurse who was well known in the Chatham community. She had worked for the past 18 years for the Caswell Family Medical Group.
A tribute was posted on the group’s Facebook page:
It is with great sadness that Caswell Family Medical Center, Inc. (CFMC) announces the loss of Patricia Towler, RN.
For 18 years, she blessed CFMC with a level of commitment and passion to community health that can only be described as exemplary. Beginning as a staff nurse and later as Clinical Operations Manager, Tricia approached each day with a tenacity for the highest standard of quality care, but more than that: an innate desire to make the world a better a place for everyone. She gave tirelessly of herself to family, coworkers and patients, often going above and beyond to pass on the purest of Godly love.
She used a quote from Patch Adams in her email signature: “You treat a disease, you win, you lose. You treat a person, I guarantee you, you’ll win, no matter what the outcome.” No other words could better describe the power from which Patricia’s presence brought healing that far exceeded anything traditional medicine could do alone.
Her commitment to excellence in how healthcare is delivered was evident in the way she mentored all CFMC’s staff, especially her nurses, to perform at a level that exceeded their own expectations.
Her life represents a level of humanity that all should strive for.
CFMC extends the deepest of sympathies to her family, especially those that were so clearly closest to her heart and that she was so very proud of: her two sons, Joshua and Eben.
We all have been made better because of you, Tricia. We will always love you.