A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS

Robert Palleschi’s passing leaves several vacant seats in Saugus town government and in various civic causes

By Mark E. Vogler

The recent death of Town Meeting Member Robert A. “Bob” Palleschi has left several vacancies in Saugus town government as well as in a wide range of community activities. Palleschi, who died unexpectedly at age 79 on June 25, was finishing up his fourth two-year term representing residents of Precinct 7. He was also a state-appointed member of the Saugus Housing Authority and served in an appointed role on the town’s Council on Aging.

In addition, he contributed to many noble causes in his neighborhood, the community and the area. His civic activities included being a member of the Greater Lynn Senior Services (GLSS) Advisory Board and the Board of Directors of Indian Rock Supportive Housing (IRSH) and usher at Blessed Sacrament Church in Saugus. Palleschi was also an active member in the Saugus Lions Club and the Saugus Knights of Columbus.

“I could go on for days with all of Bob’s accomplishments, including saving the Saugus Public Library from closing permanently and being Acting Town Manager,” Precinct 6 Town Meeting Member Jeanie Bartolo said in “a sad Shout Out” to The Saugus Advocate last week. “But Bob would not want that because he was such a kind, humble man. He never sought accolades. He was always there when friends and Saugus needed him. I am honored he considered me his friend and I will miss him. May he RIP.”

Town Clerk Ellen Schena said this week that Palleschi’s Town Meeting seat will probably remain vacant until the Nov. 4 town election because there isn’t a current need for a replacement, as there are no Special Town Meetings scheduled before the election. Former Town Meeting Member Stefano D’Anna, who finished sixth in the race for five seats in the 2023 town election, would be eligible to replace Palleschi if needed and if he wants to fill the position. “If a Special Town Meeting is called, I will notify that person,” Schena said.

Meanwhile, there’s a vacant seat on the Saugus Housing Authority, which Palleschi has held since being appointed by then-Gov. Charlie Baker seven years ago. Housing Authority Chair John Cannon said Palleschi’s seat on the authority won’t be filled until Gov. Maura Healey appoints someone. “The governor has a lot of things on her plate, so we’re not expecting the seat to be filled for a while,” Cannon said.

Cannon called the passing of Palleschi a huge loss for the town. “He was a wonderful human being and a great guy. He did a lot for the town,” Cannon said.

He put the town and its people first

Many longtime participants in Saugus town government regarded Palleschi as an asset to the town. In 2015, he served as the temporary town manager for six months. Soon after moving to Saugus 48 years ago, the Lynn native got involved in local government. He served for 36 years on the Finance Committee, including 12 years as its chair. The town benefited from his financial acumen, which stemmed from his 48 years of work for Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) in Cambridge, retiring in 2012 as the Deputy Director of Operations and Finance.

In a recent tribute posted on the Bisbee-Porcella Funeral Home webpage, longtime Finance Committee Chair Kenneth DePatto called Palleschi “an incredible person who always put the Town of Saugus and the people of Saugus first.”

“He was an unassuming person and I remember clearly the night that I convinced him to accept the nomination to be the Finance Committee Chairman. He had to be convinced that he was the best and most qualified person for the job as he never looked to be in the spotlight,” DePatto said.

“I personally will miss Bobby and he will be greatly missed in our town by his many friends,” he said.

Palleschi was a friendly guy who was very approachable. He loved his time living in Saugus, for almost a half century. He and his wife Ellen (Erekson) were married for 55 years.

During an interview with The Saugus Advocate in a local coffee shop two years ago in preparation for the “Saugus Over Coffee” series (cosponsored by The Saugus Advocate and the Saugus Public Library and broadcast by SaugusTV), Palleschi was asked what he regarded as his biggest accomplishment in local government that he was most proud of. “The one I’m most proud of is when a former manager allocated zero money for the library budget, and I took to the Town Meeting floor and I made a quote like ‘When did I move to a Third World Country that we don’t have a library?’ I said it was unconscionable and we had to find the money to keep the library open, at least a minimum, so we could maintain the programs.”

  Q: And that sort of turned the tide?

  Palleschi: It did actually. I think a lot of people in the local government respected that I said that. We had so many people come over and support the library after I said that.

  Q: And you were the Finance Committee chair at that time?

  Palleschi: Yes. That started a wave. People came to see the way and that they needed the tools that the library provided. I felt very good about that, like it was a public service. So, you can’t close the library.

He had lingering concerns about education

It also came out during the interview that education was very near and dear to Palleschi.

“One thing I wish we could fix is the relationship between the Schools and the Town. I believe the School Department should come under the manager, like they do in Boston [where the Mayor is chair of the School Committee],” Palleschi told The Saugus Advocate.

Palleschi reflected on the lack of collaboration on budget items between the School Committee and the Town. “Oh, it’s been awful. And I’ve been a part of that; I’ve had to mediate and arbitrate,” he said.

“I remember when we had a superintendent and he came up with a budget, as they always do, that we couldn’t fund, and he started to cry, and he got up and left the room,” Palleschi recalled.

“And I said to the manager, ‘You have to come up with at least 100 grand.’ And he said, ‘Okay.’ But that’s not how it should be done. There should be a negotiation without the town vs. the school. We used to say, ‘It’s all one town.’ But nobody ever really believed it,” Palleschi said.

“He really did save the library”

Precinct 4 Town Meeting Member Robert J. Long, a longtime friend and longtime participant in Saugus town government, credited Palleschi for single-handedly making the vocal public stand that prevented the closure of the Saugus Public Library. “I can tell you from firsthand knowledge that he really did save the library,” Long said in an interview this week.

“I was moderator at the time that the budget was presented to Town Meeting that would have closed the library. And Bob said, ‘Absolutely not.’ He’s the real reason why the library never closed. He said no community should be without a public library,” Long said.

Palleschi was the longtime chair of the Finance Committee at that time and made his views known very forcefully and compellingly when he addressed the Town Meeting body, Long recalled. “As a result of what Bob said, Town Meeting voted to have the Finance Committee look over the entire budget and move things around. They took money from here and there so that the library wouldn’t close. The library hours were reduced. But the town did not lose its library,” Long said.

Long called his friend “a great volunteer town official who never got the recognition that he truly deserved.”

“I wish the town would have had a chance to know him better. But he was a quiet guy who was not one to toot his own horn,” Long recalled.

“It was admirable the way he ran the Finance Committee, with such fairness. He would allow everybody a chance to be heard. And at the meetings, I never saw anybody lose their composure. He wouldn’t allow it,” Long said.

“Bob respected people. That’s why he earned the great respect that he did. He was the main person on that committee and he kept it together,” Long said.

“He was born and raised in the brickyards of Lynn. He was a graduate from St. Mary’s. But when he came to Saugus, he got involved in the community right away. He loved the Town of Saugus like he was from here. His feelings for the town were very strong. He was a great friend and one hell of a resource for Saugus and he will be missed.”