Clues are being sought in a violent attack that claimed the life of a gay activist who held top positions in senior living care in the area.
Former Villager and Brookdale executive Timothy Smith was found brutally murdered on March 25. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of the 59-year-old, but thus far has offered few clues into the facts in the case and what may have inspired such an attack on a man who was beloved by so many.
The trail goes cold at about 4 p.m. March 23 when Smith left work at Brookdale Chambrel Pinecastle independent, assisted living and memory care facilities in Ocala where he served as executive director.
“This is where we need your help. Detectives hope you can provide information on Tim’s whereabouts and anyone he may have been associating with in the days leading up to his death,” said Sheriff Billy Woods.
Those with information are asked to contact Crime Stoppers of Marion County at (352) 368-STOP (7867) and reference 23-21 in your tip.
Smith was among those who gathered in 2015 at Lake Sumter Landing to celebrate the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling upholding gay marriage. He and his husband were married months later in a ceremony in The Villages. He performed as drag queen “Augusta Wind,” and was said to be wildly entertaining.
He was previously the director of operations for Villages Rehab in Lady Lake and was highly respected in the senior care community. He held a master of business administration from Nova Southeastern University, a master’s degree in social work from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a bachelor’s degree in religious education from the University of Mobile in Alabama. Smith excelled in executive roles in a conservative industry in deeply conservative communities.
He was a fifth generation Floridian and grew up on his family’s farm west of Gainesville, in Dixie County, near the Suwannee River.
Smith will be remembered in a celebration of life from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, April 14 at the Ocala Downtown Marketplace.