Nadine Mowery Gilmore

Nadine Mowery Gilmore, 70, of Lynchburg, VA, beloved wife, mother, and daughter, entered eternal life on August 6, 2024 at the Hospice of the Piedmont in Charlottesville, VA, surrounded by her loving family. She was born September 22, 1953, the daughter of Joycie F. Mowery and the late Charles S. Mowery. In addition to her father, she was preceded in death by her grandparents Charles R. and Pauline S. Mowery and Granville E. and Maud S. Funkhouser; father-in-law and mother-in-law Richard Harrel Gilmore Sr. and Billie M. Gilmore; sister-in-law Deborah Gilmore McChesney; brother-in-law Michael Dale Gilmore; and aunt Miriam Mowery Irvin along with numerous other aunts and uncles.

In addition to her mother, Nadine is survived by her loving husband, Richard Harrel Gilmore Jr. (Ritch), to whom she was happily married for 40 years; son Richard Charles Gilmore MD; brother-in-law William George McChesney; niece Gina Marie McChesney and great niece Ava Lynn McChesney; cousins Mark Grove Irvin (fiancée Donna Hollar); Edmund Mowery Irvin, John Wesley Irvin (Trish) and children Ashby, Jack, and Mary Rose Irvin.

Nadine had a strong Christian faith. Throughout her life she always strived to be faithful to God. Her primary life goals were to honor God and to please Him each day. She participated in Community Bible Study (CBS) for several years. Nadine was an active member at Rivermont Evangelical Presbyterian Church, where she especially enjoyed being able to use her gifts to work and serve alongside other members in several different ministries of the church. Her faith and trust in her Lord and Savior never wavered. After being diagnosed with endometrial cancer in late 2020, she told a friend that she was going to do everything she could to beat the disease, but “Regardless of how it goes, I win either way.” She truly believed that with all of her heart. 

Nadine was a 1971 graduate of Central High School in Woodstock, VA. Her class is very close and she enjoyed great times celebrating class birthdays and reunions and having lunch with former classmates on occasion. She was a 1976 graduate of the Medical College of Virginia School of Pharmacy in Richmond, VA with a BS in Pharmacy. As a pharmacist she worked the majority of her career at Centra Lynchburg General Hospital, where she had a part in advancing the profession through various automation ventures and processes to keep up with changing practices. She served in multiple positions as a Staff Pharmacist, Pharmacy Manager, and Pharmacy Director. She described her career as robust, interesting, and fulfilling, with many opportunities to grow and develop “while rarely experiencing a dull moment.” Nadine particularly enjoyed working with so many wonderful colleagues at Centra and continued to maintain those relationships even after retirement as she was invited back to celebrate special occasions and often have lunch with colleagues. She retired after practicing pharmacy for 46 years. She also was a volunteer at the Free Clinic of Central Virginia beginning at its inception and working there for over 30 years. She loved helping the underserved and on three occasions traveled to Jamaica to serve on the mission field with the Central Virginia Medical Mission Team. She loved to tell stories of those trips where she enjoyed living among the natives and learning of the fauna and flora of the island while bringing much needed medical care to the region. She was a longtime member of the Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International. She and her family delighted in attending the CPFI Annual Meetings held at Myrtle Beach, SC.

Nadine loved being a mom. She poured her heart and soul into raising Richard Charles. She was devoted to doing whatever was best for her son, regardless of the time or effort required. Nadine and Richard Charles had an incredibly strong mother-son bond, which deepened after her cancer diagnosis. During the 3 and ½ years that she battled this disease, she was blessed to have his help with identifying and deciding on the most appropriate treatment options. When Nadine had to spend 55 consecutive days living in the Upper East Side of New York City in 2022 while receiving treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Richard Charles visited her almost every weekend. They did many fun things in NYC that summer, and their special relationship grew even more wonderful and durable during that difficult time.

Nadine was a loving and loyal wife. She was dedicated to building and sustaining a good marriage and a warm family atmosphere. She was unselfish and understanding at all times. This fostered an environment where every family member could be themselves and thrive. Ritch was incredibly blessed to have a life partner who was beautiful on the inside and on the outside, who was exceptional at anything and everything she did, who had the same core values about faith and family, and who was easy to communicate with and work with. 

Nadine loved the Shenandoah Valley where she grew up. She and her family took many trips to Woodstock to visit with her Mom and Dad. She watched with joy and gratitude as her parents poured their hearts and energies into nurturing Richard Charles and teaching him a multitude of different things while also allowing him the opportunity to develop an abiding appreciation of how much fun and how special it was for her to have grown up there.

Nadine loved to travel. She traveled frequently before and after Richard Charles was born. Some of her favorite destinations were Saint Croix, in the US Virgin Islands, Schroon Lake, NY, Niagara Falls, NY, Bar Harbor, ME, Cape Cod, MA, Orlando, FL, Daytona Beach, FL, Myrtle Beach, SC, the country of Israel, and especially Virginia Beach, VA, New York City, NY, and Lancaster County, PA. But the family’s late summer trip to Woodstock for the annual Shenandoah County Fair was her favorite excursion each year.

Nadine enjoyed reading and doing various types of needlework. Working in the yard was a favorite past time of hers and she appreciated all that she learned from fellow gardeners as a member of the Garden by the James Garden Club.

Nadine’s family wishes to thank the medical professionals at the University of Virginia Emily Couric Cancer Center and the UVA Health System, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the Alan B. Pearson Regional Cancer Center, and all of the staff at the Center for Acute Hospice Care at Hospice of the Piedmont, for the outstanding care given to her during her illness.

A Memorial Service with a Reception to follow will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, August 17, 2024 at Rivermont Evangelical Presbyterian Church located at 2424 Rivermont Avenue, Lynchburg, VA, 24503. A second Memorial Service with a Reception to follow will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, August 24, 2024 at Antioch Covenant Brethren Church located at 23502 Senedo Road, Woodstock, VA, 22664 for family and friends who live in or near the Shenandoah Valley.

In lieu of flowers, please consider memorial contributions to 

-Rivermont Evangelical Presbyterian Church 

-Antioch Covenant Brethren Church  at  23502 Senedo Rd, Woodstock, VA 22664 

-The Free Clinic of Central Virginia at 1016 Main Street, Lynchburg, VA, 24504 

-New Covenant Schools at 122 Fleetwood Drive, Lynchburg, VA, 24501 

-Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center at https://giving.mskcc.org.

Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg, is assisting the family.