Gretchen Towry

Gretchen Lea (Gardner) Towry, 74, went peacefully to the Lord on January 27th, 2023 surrounded by her family following a lengthy hospitalization. A resident of Schertz, TX since 2007, she was born August 27th, 1948 in Erie, PA to Alton Gardner and Alice (Engel) Gardner and graduated from Strong Vincent High School in 1966.  Her father was a life-long member of the Perry Masonic Lodge in Erie where Gretchen was active in Rainbows as a teen.  She and her family were founding members of Cascade United Methodist Church in Erie.

Gretchen was in her final year of nursing school at Georgia Baptist Hospital School of Nursing in Atlanta, GA when she met the love of her life, John, a career US Army Soldier stationed at Fort McPherson, GA.  They married on February 17th, 1979 in Decatur, GA and with her two young girls from a previous marriage, they began their life journey together.  Gretchen and John were assigned and lived together at many different Army postings around the country and in Germany.  She worked in various military and civilian hospitals, primarily caring for postoperative orthopedic patients.  While caring for her patient’s medical needs, Gretchen enjoyed connecting with her patients just as she would with any of her many friends.  She achieved “Orthopeadic Nurse Certified” designation in 1992 through the national Orthopeadic Nurses Certification Board and held state Nursing Licenses in seven different states. Over her life, she was an active bowler on various womens and mixed bowling leagues, enjoyed playing Mah Jongg and various puzzles and word games, and passed time with cross-stitch and crochet.  She was a member of First United Methodist Church of New Braunfels, TX.

Gretchen is survived by her husband of 43 years, John Franklin Towry; daughters Hollie (Barber) Dean and Ricky Dean of Elon, NC and Michele Lea (Barber) Hetzel and David Hetzel of Flowery Branch, GA; grandchildren Amanda (Dean) Smith, Britney Garner, Madalyn (Hetzel) Slaton, Gunnar Hetzel, and Kaitlyn Hetzel; six great-grandchildren; brother Robert Gardner of Pagosa Springs, CO; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins; and her beloved cats Jack and Iggy.  She was preceded in death by her grandson Joshua Lynn Dean, father Alton F. Gardner, mother Alice (Engel) Gardner, grandparents Albert and Pearl Gardner and William and Inez Engel, and brother William A. Gardner.

A private ceremony will take place at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. A Celebration of Life service open to all who knew and loved Gretchen will be held at the First United Methodist Church in New Braunfels, TX on March 18th, 2023 at 10:30AM.  A reception at the church will immediately follow this service.

Because Gretchen lived with Type 1 Diabetes for over 48 years, in lieu of flowers the family requests memorial donations in her name to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.  Online donations may be made at jdrf.org or by mail at JDRF, 200 Vesey Street, 28th Floor, New York, NY, 10281.

The family thanks the medical professionals of Christus Santa Rosa Hospital, New Braunfels, Brooke Army Medical Center, Baylor Scott White Hospital, Temple, TX, PAM Health Specialty Care Hospital, New Braunfels, and Sundance Rehabilitation Center, New Braunfels for their dedicated care during her lengthy hospitalization period.  The family also thanks the dedicated and professional staff of VITAS Healthcare Inpatient Hospice in San Antonio for their compassionate care during her final days.