“The safety, dignity, and well-being of our residents is — and always will be — our highest priority,” the facility emphasized. “We have never experienced an incident of this nature in the many years of operating in the Assisted Living space. Our community is deeply saddened by this heartbreaking loss. The grief felt by our entire staff is indescribable. We are truly proud of our staff’s profound and immediate response to the situation and grateful for their continued compassion, dedication and professionalism. We remain confident in the high level of service, comfort, and care we provide our residents as one of the premier assisted living and memory care communities in Florida.”

Spencer told Fox 13 that her father will always be remembered as a “funny,” “hardworking” man who “never raised his voice.”

This is, without question, a heartbreaking tragedy — one that no family should ever have to experience. We can only hope the investigation reveals what went wrong and whether this could have been prevented.

Rest in peace, “Gene,” and thank you for your lifetime of service and dedication.