At the end of a quiet office park in Fairfax County, Virginia, flowers line the entrance to a dental clinic where patients are remembering Dr. Cerina Fairfax.
Fairfax, a dentist and the wife of former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, died early Thursday after police say he shot her and then killed himself.
Longtime patients described her as kind, compassionate and deeply caring.
Dottie Shields was among several people who stopped by to leave flowers outside the closed office. Fighting back tears, she paused for a moment.
“I’ve been a patient of hers for about 13 years,” Shields said. “She sat and chatted with me at my last appointment just two weeks ago. We talked about the weather, how nice it was getting. She was just a good, kind person.”
“She was the nicest person, so kind,” she said. “I’m brokenhearted for her children. I just wanted to leave flowers so she knows how much she was loved.”
Next door, employees at a hair salon also remembered Fairfax as more than just a dentist.
“Lovely, compassionate — a wonderful dentist and a wonderful person,” said stylist Arlean Gabbert. “You get a friendship going. I loved her.”
Gabbert said Fairfax often shared stories about her life outside the office.
“She loved chickens. She loved to farm. That was really cute,” she said.
Both women said they occasionally saw Fairfax’s two children at the office, but never met her husband or discussed his political career.
According to her biography on the practice’s website, Fairfax earned her bachelor’s degree from Duke University in 1999 and her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Dentistry in 2005, graduating magna cum laude.
She later completed a residency in advanced general dentistry at VCU and was recognized by the university’s alumni association as an Outstanding Graduate of the Last Decade. She was also a member of Omicron Kappa Upsilon — a national dental honor society.
According to her biography, outside the office, Fairfax enjoyed reading, running trails with her dogs, practicing yoga and traveling. She was also active in community outreach, volunteering and supporting local charities.
Her family released a statement Friday through Fairfax County police’s Victim Service Division.
“This is an unimaginably difficult moment for the family, and our attention is on supporting one another. We respectfully ask for privacy and space as we navigate the days ahead.”