Very sad.

From the Charlottesville, VA, DailyProgress.com, January 29, 2010:

In suicide note, Morris blames tinnitus

Former Greene County Sheriff William L. “Willie” Morris shot himself Thursday because of a constant roar in his ears, he wrote in a final letter.

“I hope that my death will help bring about some cure for those that suffer with tinnitus, by bringing attention to it,” he wrote. “It is important that my life will not be wasted.”

Morris had suffered from the condition since September, and by the end of his life heard a constant noise in both ears.

“He described it as like a buzz saw constantly,” his daughter Lisa Morris said.

Morris developed the condition after a weightlifting mishap, his daughter said. He had lifted for many years, winning several championships.

One day, as he squatted, he lost control of the weight, which went over his head, she said. It’s not clear exactly what happened in his body to cause the condition, but that was when it began, Lisa Morris said.

For now the family is asking that, in lieu of flowers, well-wishers make donations to the American Tinnitus Association. In the future, his daughter hopes to set up something permanent in Morris’ honor.

“He took the time to actually tell me this, in a letter that he wrote, so it’s very important that I bring attention to this,” she said.