THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, April 17, 1996 TAG: 9604170363
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LINDA MCNATT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WINDSOR LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
In a larger place, the deaths of grocer Calvin Tuck and his son might have been labeled a murder-suicide. But in this quiet town on U.S. 460, even the police saw it differently.
``This is a Windsor tragedy,'' Maj. David Cobb of the Isle of Wight County Sheriff's Department said Tuesday. ``It is a tragedy for the entire community.''
Police discovered Monday night that Tuck, a kindly grocer well known for his generosity, had shot his son, Brad, in the head, then had turned a
The bodies of the father, 66, and son, 30, were found in the same room of living quarters attached to Cal-Ray Supermarket, a Windsor landmark for decades. Each died of a single head wound.
Cobb said there was no sign of a struggle. A note found at the scene indicated what had happened, probably late Sunday afternoon or Sunday night, but Cobb declined to elaborate.
Law enforcement officials determined that the father had been seen alive about 2 p.m. Sunday.
Brad Tuck, who lived in a trailer next to the store, was a maintenance helper at Suffolk Oil Co. in nearby Suffolk. His brother had taken over Cal-Ray's with a partner after Calvin Tuck retired last year.
``Brad was a sweet young man,'' a Suffolk Oil employee said Tuesday. ``He had his problems, but he was sweet.''
He had been convicted of a felony in June 1993, and sentenced to eight years in prison. All but six months was suspended. A year later, he was convicted of marijuana possession.
Despite those problems, Principal William W. Worsham of Windsor High School said, Calvin Tuck remained a devoted, understanding father.
And, Worsham said, he was a dedicated supporter of local schools.
Tuck often stopped at the school, always with a treat for the office staff, Worsham said. Tuck visited classes to talk about marketing, and he welcomed classes into the store.
``We could call him at the last minute for anything,'' Worsham said. ``He never said no.''
Tuesday, townspeople remembered Tuck for small things: helping elderly customers to their cars with food-laden sacks, supporting community causes, and equipping his store with tiny grocery carts - and free lollipops - for children.
``I don't believe a single civic club in this community would have survived without Mr. Tuck's generosity,'' said Joni Griffin, a local civic leader. ``He donated hams at Christmas, gave us everything at cost, credit when we needed it. He loved the town, and he loved the people who live here.''
Despite his support, Tuck seldom joined clubs or endorsed causes. He ``ate, slept and breathed the store,'' and treated employees as his children, she said.
Bernetta Miles, accountant assigned to the Richfood-affiliated Cal-Ray's, said from Richmond on Tuesday, ``He was one of the kindest, most cooperative people I've ever dealt with.''
Over the years she knew him, Miles said, he sponsored community-appreciation events, fed the entire town to celebrate the store's anniversary or other special events, and always invited her.
KEYWORDS: MURDER SUICIDE by CNB