Villagers are mourning a friend and neighbor lost to the Coronavirus.
“My dear friend and neighbor, Debbie Butler, passed away after her battle with COVID-19. I met Debbie almost 10 years ago when we both moved to The Villages. She was very active, but her passion was her travels around the world. Sadly, her last trip proved to be her downfall,” Village of Buttonwood resident Viv Jackson posted on social media.
Butler moved into the Village of Buttonwood in 2010 with her husband Ken.
The Florida Department of Health on Friday reported that a 67-year-old Sumter County woman died of the Coronavirus after recently traveling to Belize, Honduras and Mexico.
In the wake of her neighbor’s death, Jackson is urging her fellow Villagers to use caution.
“We all have the outlook, ‘It won’t happen to me.’ Eventually, each of our lives will be in someway touched by this virus. Whether it be you, a family member, a neighbor or friend, this virus is serious. It’s not going away anytime soon. If it’s not essential, stay home! Avoid groups! If possible when you are in public wear a mask. Don’t touch your face! Wash your hands often,” Jackson advised.
Earlier this month, the daughter of 84-year-old Villager Carol Lynch offered similar advice. She said she believed her mother contracted the fatal virus through community spread in The Villages.
