ORLANDO (BP) — The wife of a member of First Baptist Church’s pastoral staff died on Feb. 5, days after a home attack left her with brain injuries.

Lucy Pat Curl, whose husband Bill served in pastoral care, was taken off life support on Feb. 5, a note from her extended family informed the church.

“She went on to Heaven early this morning. We rejoice that she is no longer in pain,” it read.

Curl was attacked on Jan. 31 by a man pretending to be a community service officer while her husband was on a ministry call at a pregnancy center. The suspect had been released from prison the prior June and now has a murder charge added to those of home invasion with a weapon, aggravated robbery and aggravated battery.

“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,” the family statement said. 

It shared that Curl’s husband took a picture of her “before the results of the attack had been cleaned up.” When asked what he was going to do with it, Bill Curl said he would “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,” he said.

The family statement asked readers to also express forgiveness.

Lucy Pat Curl served alongside her husband at First Orlando for a total of 52 years. First Baptist pastor David Uth shared on Sunday that the couple also spent 18 years as Southern Baptist missionaries in London and Wales, returning to First Baptist upon the completion of that assignment.

A celebration service will be held on Sunday, Feb. 16 at 4 p.m. at First Baptist Orlando.

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Scott Barkley is chief national correspondent for Baptist Press.)