On the occasion of her retirement, Richfield Living wishes to acknowledge and thank Martha Sowers Altizer for 43 years of dedicated service and leadership.
Throughout her long career at Richfield Living, Martha has cared for countless patients, providing skilled and compassionate nursing care as well as thoughtful and conscientious leadership.
Her exceptional dedication to the nursing profession, her energy and devotion, as well as the many lives she has touched, will leave a lasting legacy at the Richfield community.
Martha came to Richfield’s Nursing Center as a staff nurse on Aug. 5, 1974, after graduating from Roanoke Memorial’s School of Nursing. Like all nurses at that time, Martha wore a starched white uniform dress, cap, white shoes and stockings while on duty.
She maintained near perfect attendance in her 43 years at Richfield. Many a time over the years she went home to Christiansburg long enough to pack a bag to come back to stay overnight, for as long as needed, to care for residents during bad weather. Her emphasis was always to spend time with residents.
“You can always make time to sit with someone and make a difference,” she said. Martha is the nurse we all would hope for in our moment of need.
Martha is a licensed Assisted Living Administrator and for the last 20-plus years, has served as Director of Nursing and Assistant Administrator for the T. Stuart Payne and Joseph C. Thomas Assisted Living Centers at Richfield Living.
Martha and her late husband, Jim, who died six years ago, had two children: Amanda, who works in nursing at The Oaks at Richfield and Wesley, who works for Norfolk Southern.
Martha is the daughter of Chester and Claudine Sowers of Floyd, VA and the daughter-in-law of Helen Altizer of Riner, VA. She is an active member of Christiansburg Church of the Brethren and is an avid reader.
Her family and friends provided this comment, “We salute Martha’s long career and we celebrate the many roles she has played with equal brilliance in our lives as wife, mother, daughter, daughter-in-law, granddaughter, sister, sister-in-law, niece, aunt, cousin, friend, neighbor and church member. With love and appreciation, we wish her the happiest of retirements.”
Richfield is a non-profit senior living community that offers rehabilitation, independent living, assisted living, memory care, and nursing care.
Located in Roanoke County near the City of Salem, Richfield is home to approximately 640 residents and employs nearly 470 team members. To learn more about Richfield Living and its mission of “helping individuals experience life to the fullest, through every phase of their journey,” visit www.RichfieldLiving.com or like us at www.facebook.com/RichfieldLiving.
