By Naomi Guidry

nguidry@americanpress.com

LAKE ARTHUR — Robert “Bobby” Palermo, a Lake Arthur town council member and mayor-pro tem, died Saturday following a five-year battle with mesotheliom. He was 67.

He also served as a board member of the Jeff Davis Parish Tourist Commission and chairman of the Gator Chateau Building Committee in Jennings. He and his wife, Roberta, own and operate The Bank Hotel in Lake Arthur, according to his obituary. He was also a franchise owner of Action Restoration.

During his five years as a two-term council member, Palermo left his mark on the town of Lake Arthur.

Lake Arthur Mayor Sherry Crochet describes Palermo as a “very humble guy.”

“He was easy to communicate with,” she said. “(He was) not political — always looked at what was best for our community. He was well-liked.”

During his years as a council member, Crochet said he was a great benefit to Lake Arthur. She described him as a good leader.

“Being someone who wasn’t born and raised here… to come to our town and have a great love for it,” she said. “He improved business and jobs.
He was a smart business man. He really was. He’s helped in Jeff Davis Parish a lot. It’ll be a big loss. I sure will never forget him.”

The flags in Lake Arthut have been flying at half mast since Palermo’s death Saturday. Crochet said Town Hall will be closed Tuesday for his funeral service.

Crochet said someone will be appointed to his seat to finish his current term, and the council will have to vote for a new mayor pro-tem.

Council member Auldon Robinson had a lot of respect for his fellow council member.

“I’ve only known him a short time,” he said, adding that he felt very comfortable voicing his opinions with Palermo. “Bobby was a person who definitely utilized his ears. He listened more and talked less.

“He’s gonna listen to you first. When he spoke, you hardly had anything to say. He listened so well. When he spoke, he spoke with a level of intelligence. You had to listen to him. He was such a mild-mannered kind of a person. His characteristics were so mild, you just enjoyed speaking to him.”

Robinson agreed that Palermo was a good businessman and that he left his mark on the town.

“Bobby just was a pillar of strength for this community overall,” he said. “In such a short time, he made his way around in the community. People respected him for who he was. He was such a strong and big pillar of strength in the community. You can’t help but feel that loss already.”

Palermo served on the town council while battling mesothelioma, which is an aggressive cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, heart or abdomen.

Robinson said Palermo didn’t let the illness stop him from serving his community.

“I didn’t learn about his illness until it got so bad — that’s how strong he was,” he said. “He never showed it until his body could no longer hide it. He never showed weakness. He never complained.”

Robinson said he will miss Palermo dearly.

“I enjoyed working with him,” he said. “I really, really, really loved this guy. I’m just one of many that can say these things.’

Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 8, 2019, at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Lake Arthur. Burial will follow in St. Anthony Cemetery under the direction of Miguez Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 4-9 p.m. Tuesday, May 7, at Miguez Funeral Home in Jennings and will resume at 8 a.m. until time of services Wednesday in the Oustalet Center in Lake Arthur.