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'We Are Broken-Hearted but God is a Heart Fixer': Former Pastor Among Victims in Missouri Duck Boat Accident

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A former pastor is listed among the dead in the freak boat accident that took 17 lives on Table Rock Lake near Branson, Missouri, Thursday.

The Springfield News-Leader reports Robert "Bob" Williams was riding on the duck boat as part of a two-person crew on the vessel.

Williams, 73, was not listed as the driver of the amphibious vehicle in a Missouri State Highway Patrol report. 

The newspaper reports Williams and his wife Judith served on the board of directors of the USA Veterans Hope Center in Branson. 

"As our very first board members, Bob and Judy Williams have been a driving force behind the USA Veterans Hope Center," Almer Jackson, the founder, and CEO of the center said in a news release. 

"They have faithfully provided mentorship and ministry through media to active military and institutionalized veterans, have organized ministry events for veterans, and have led as servant leaders, mentors, friends, and life coaches to all," the release continued. 

"We love Bob. Bob was more than a board member, he was a friend, mentor, and father, and grandfather to our family. He will be missed. We continue to rally around Judy and love her very much. We are broken-hearted but God is a heart fixer."

According to The Springfield News-Leader, Williams grew up in Alabama and moved to Branson after working for many years at the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority. 

He has also served as an associate pastor at The King's Cathedral in Providence.

"Pastor Bob was a prince of a man, loving, kind, and generous, whose loss to our family is incalculable," Williams' son-in-law, Bishop Jeffery Williams, who now leads King's Cathedral in Providence told The Associated Press

"He was one of the most wonderful people I've ever met. He was a Christian man. He was a lover of people," Jackson told the newspaper. 

He and his wife were members of the Faith Life Church in Branson.

Funeral arrangements have not been announced. 

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About The Author

Steve Warren is a senior multimedia producer for CBN News. Warren has worked in the news departments of television stations and cable networks across the country. In addition, he also worked as a producer-director in television production and on-air promotion. A Civil War historian, he authored the book The Second Battle of Cabin Creek: Brilliant Victory. It was the companion book to the television documentary titled Last Raid at Cabin Creek currently streaming on Amazon Prime. He holds an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma and a B.A. in Communication from the University of