Marion’s Bobby Gerald leaves legacies

When he died on March 22 from complications of a heart attack, Marion’s Bobby Gerald was likely still thinking of ways to improve Marion, the city and county, and ways in which to enhance the life for its residents and those who visit and work in his home town. It is his legacy that will outlive him.

His legacy will be seen in those family, friends and city employees he mentored, encouraged and helped. He invested in people.

His legacy will be seen daily in the restored businesses, the enhanced hike bike trail and in the projects underway which will come to fruition because of his leading. He invested in Marion County.

Think what you will of the man, but Bobby Gerald’s fought for Marion County and its people. He fought to bring jobs, many of which are gone now, but he fought, and was fighting, to see that this, and yes he felt it was his, corner of the state got its just desserts.

Despite how one feels about him, he leaves big shoes to fill: If it needed to be done, and he thought it was the right thing to do, and his mind was set on it, he did it or saw that it was done. Regardless of public sentiment.

When someone remains in the public limelight for as long as Marion Mayor Bobby Gerald did, that person is surely to create some tension, take a few hits personally and dish out a little hardball. Public service is far from glamorous. It is day in and day out striving to put others first, to do the right thing with the right resources at the right time.

Good public servants and elected officials create tension and field criticism. We are, after all, a fickled people. If it’s my ditch that needs cleaning out, well, then it’s not a personal favor for a Mayor or Council member to wield influence to get it done. It is what public service is all about. However, if it’s your ditch, it may well be a waste of city, county, state money, a misuse of power, etc.

At 9:30 a.m. on April 19, a tribute to Bobby Gerald, with his immediate family, friends and business associates who knew him best, will be aired on The Right Side, a television show moderated by another of Marion’s favorite sons, Armstrong Williams. Speaking will be his high school sweetheart and best friend, wife Francis Gerald, son Donnie Gerald, Mullins-based Anderson Brother’s Bank
President David Anderson, Sen. Kent Williams,  Judge Carroll Atkinson and Marion County businessman Randall Smalls. They, among those who knew him best, will be allowed to reflect on the life and times of the former Mayor, public servant and local businessman.

He went to work as soon as he was old enough, worked hard, followed his heart, never shied away from spirited debates, joked, picked, teased, cajoled and wrangled with the best, and worst, of them. A Marion County native, he moved into the city of Marion and based his life of public service from there.

In his own words, in 1985, explaining why he was willing to leave his elected and appointed county positions to run for Mayor, Gerald said “... I have been encouraged by many Marion citizens to seek the mayor’s office ... I know that we have a great city; and, I want to be a part of keeping Marion as a place we can be proud of, one in which to live, work and raise our families ... I feel I can offer positive leadership and responsible management to our citizens.”

He added “I have developed personal friends and relationships with both county and state officials which can and will be helpful to the City of Marion.” And call and those friends he did. And Marion is better off for it. Think what you will, but in the end, he was reelected six times as Mayor of Marion. He died doing what he loved: Serving his favorite people.