The wife of a long-serving Florida pastor has died just days after being brutally attacked in her home by a man posing as a community service officer.
First Baptist Orlando Church announced that Lucy Pat Curl, wife of Pastor Bill Curl, died Wednesday after being severely beaten and knocked unconscious.
“This morning, Lucy Pat Curl, wife of longtime First Orlando Pastor Bill Curl, passed away following life-threatening injuries last Friday. She has now been healed, and is in the presence of our Savior,” reads the church’s statement.
The accused attacker, Ronald Davis, 55, reportedly posed as a community service officer and forced his way into Curl’s home.
An Orlando Police Department’s arrest affidavit contends that Davis repeatedly hit Curl in the head with a crystal candy jar until she was unconscious.
Curl later told officers that when she awoke, her home was ransacked, and she couldn’t locate her cell phone. She said she stumbled out of the house and into her car and began honking the horn in hopes that a neighbor would come and help her. After 15 minutes of honking, no help arrived.
The 85-year-old crawled back into the house and waited several hours until her husband came home, Spectrum News 13 reported.
Curl was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center and was placed into a medically induced coma due to a brain bleed. However, surgery was not an option because of her age and the medication she was taking.
David Uth, the senior pastor of First Baptist Church, updated the congregation on Curl’s condition on Sunday and told them more about what took place.
“You know, if I could really be honest with you, I’d probably just stand here and weep today,” Uth said.
He shared that Bill and his wife served on the pastoral team for more than 50 years, and for 18 years served as missionaries with the International Mission Board before the Lord brought them back to America, churchleaders.com reports.
“[Bill is] the one that will be there for you in a heartbeat, and his wife, Lucy Pat is right there with him,” Uth said. “You’ll see them sometimes around here riding a bicycle built for two, and it’s a beautiful sight when you do, on Friday afternoon.”
Uth asked the church to pray for her recovery, but days later she passed away due to her injuries.
“On Tuesday, Lucy Pat was taken off life support,” the church wrote in a message posted on caringbridge.org. “She went on to Heaven early this morning. We rejoice that she is no longer in pain.”
“The circumstances of her passing are shocking and abrupt, and not what we would have expected or chosen. But as our Lord has forgiven us, we are asked to forgive each other,” it continued.
“At one point, Bill (her husband) took her picture before the results of the attack had been cleaned up. When asked what he would do with a picture like that, his response was, ‘I’m going to show it to the man who did this to her. Then I’m going to forgive him. I refuse to let his actions dictate who I am.’ So we would ask for you to do the same.”
Church leaders asked for prayer for Bill, their family, and their church family.
Uth told the church that the assailant was apprehended hours after the crime took place.
“He was a homeless man who lived in a shed not far from the house, and he’s 55 years old, and he’s spent 40 years in prison,” Uth said. “He’s only been out six months the last time, and every time it’s assault, he goes in forced entry, and usually he beats people up.”
The police identified him after finding his wallet, with his I.D. inside, in the Curl’s home.
Davis was initially charged with home invasion robbery with a weapon, aggravated battery with a weapon, and aggravated battery on a person 65 years or older with a deadly weapon, but is now being charged with first-degree murder.
A “celebration of life” service is being held for Lucy on Sunday, February 16, at 4:00 pm at First Baptist Church of Orlando.
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