North Syracuse Village Justice Bob Bertrand passes away at 65

By Sarah Hall

Editor

North Syracuse Village Justice Robert Bertrand passed away unexpectedly Monday, Feb. 26. He was 65.

“He’s been a fixture as long as I’ve been involved with the village,” said North Syracuse Mayor Gary Butterfield. “He was a straight shooter…. He was just a stand-up guy. He’s going to be missed.”

Bertrand took over as village justice on July 1, 1985. Shortly thereafter, his sister, Cindy Goodman, joined him in the village court system as his court clerk.

“When working together we had a job to do and we both took it seriously, and there was never any problem being brother and sister,” Goodman said. “We could separate that. But, on the other hand, we were brother and sister and he was my best friend, so there was never any problem working together.”

Goodman remembered her brother as an impartial jurist who presided over his court with the best interests of the village in mind.

“I think he brought fairness. He really thought about what he was going to do in certain cases,” she said. “It wasn’t just, ‘I’m in a bad mood. This is it.’ He was very fair with people, no matter what kind of issue you were there for, ticketed or something worse. He was a very fair judge who really thought about what he was doing.”

And he loved being the judge, according to law partner Tom Welch, who worked with Bertrand in private practice at the firm Bertrand, Arno and Welch since 1983.

“He loved being of service to the people in the village,” Welch said. “He loved being the judge. That was the way he felt he was best able to serve the people in the village.”

Bertrand, a graduate of Nottingham High School, Virginia Polytechnic University and Syracuse University College of Law, opened the firm, located at the corner of Route 11 and Church Street in the village, with Daniel Arno in 1978. The two were later joined by Melvin Slotnick, who has since retired; Carl Putzer, who now has his own office at Driver’s Village; and Welch, who remains a partner with the firm.

“We all practiced together without a harsh word for 35, 40 years,” Welch said. “He was just a pretty good guy.”

The firm handles legal matters pertaining to real estate, estate, Medicaid and tax law, meaning that many of its clients are elderly. Welch said Bertrand did much more than the minimum for those clients.

“If he had an elderly client who was alone, he would go way above and beyond what a lawyer need do to represent the client,” Welch said. “I think that’s what I remember best about him. He did many, many things for his elderly clients who didn’t have a strong support system that a lawyer wouldn’t do — sometimes doctor’s appointments, sometimes lunch, he just was wonderful to… them over the years.”

Beyond his professional persona, Goodman remembered her brother as funny, honest and caring.

“He had a great sense of humor, a dry sense of humor — sarcastic,” she said. “He would do anything for anybody, and always would look at the positive side of things… So I’d say very compassionate, good sense of humor — all-around great guy.”

Goodman said it’s that sense of humor she’ll miss most.

“I’m going to miss picking up the phone and being able to joke with him, or if we’re talking serious stuff,” she said. “I’m going to miss the phone ringing and talking to him. We talked a couple times every day because we worked together, but it was also because we’re family and taking care of our mother. I think that’s the hardest thing…. You know, it’s just the finality of it that really gets me.”

Welch echoed those sentiments.

“I’ll tell you, the hardest thing is walking down the hall and looking in his office and not seeing anybody there,” he said.

Bertrand was predeceased by his wife, Deborah (Farrell) Bertrand, in 2009, and his father, Robert M. Bertrand, in 2013. In addition to his sister Cindy and her husband Lee, he is survived by his mother, the former Elizabeth Johns; daughter, Deirdre “DeDe” Bertrand; grandson, Sgt. Austen Bertrand; brother, Jeffery (Victoria) Bertrand; sister Carol (Andrew) Lanzi; several nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.

Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to North Area Meals On Wheels, 413 Church St., North Syracuse, NY 13212.

The village court was closed last week in the wake of Bertrand’s passing. For the time being, Judge David Gideon of DeWitt will take over his caseload. A new judge will be chosen to fill the remainder of Bertrand’s term during the village’s June elections.