DENNIS ROMERO 1946-2010

During my very special visit to Loreauville last week, our family friend and a Loreauville icon, DENNIS ROMERO, died suddenly and unexpectedly from complications of surgery. My four sisters and I attended the wake at a New Iberia funeral home. I did not recognize many people in the packed viewing room, but the grief was palpable. My last image of Mr. Romero was at the last minutes of my dad’s life. Dennis and his beautiful wife, Linda, visibly shaken by the realization of this last visit, grieved and prayed with our family.

Tiger Inn faces Main Street and is located on Nadine Drive, just one block from my parents home. Eight of my family members live in that same block.

I met Dennis Romero at Tiger Inn, a local fast food establishment and favorite Loreauville teen hangout in the late 70’s when he worked there as an employee of Wilbur Leblanc, of this name I am uncertain. Wilbur’s wife now either works or runs the Seafood connection Restaurant in New Iberia that my parents, Homer and Anna Mae were so fond of.  Since I left Loreauville in 1968, on visits home, my second stop was to visit Tiger Inn to order chili hot dogs, scrumptious onion rings and fries for my family.

When Wilbur began to manage Tiger Inn, his wife was expecting twin boys, both of whom are now grown and married with their own families.  My brother Tommy’s earliest memories of Tiger Inn are babysitting the twin boys and being compensated with a hot dog and coke at 8PM, the closing time for Tiger Inn in those days.

      Wilbur ran into financial troubles in the mid 1980's and as part of the settlement, deeded Tiger Inn to my dad, Homer, in lieu of lease payments.  I lost track of the legalities after that.  I recall being shocked in the 1980's that Dad had given Wilbur a 15 year lease on the property for something like $150 month. I assume that Dennis became the owner at some point.

      Dennis and Tommy used to chat briefly when Tommy visited Loreauville.  At first, whenever Tommy visited, Dennis refused to let him pay for anything.  After a few visits, Tommy felt intimidated, because part of the Tiger Inn experience was being able to order anything he wanted and pay for food with his own money. Dennis understood. And promptly refused to let Tommy pay for any future orders.  God love him.

      So, Tommy gave up and just ordered a Hot Dog, fries, and a Coke each time he visited, because all he really wanted was the Hot Dog and the conversation. 

     Tommy says, “Thinking about Tiger Inn reminds me of those crisp cool Fall Football days when I would walk back from a LSH football game and stop for a hot dog at Tiger Inn.  If there is a memory in my head that defines fall, it is those days in Loreauville in fall when everyone walked to the High School for the football game.  I also thought about mentioning to Dennis that the Tiger Inn sign at the street was missing but decided against saying anything, since by that time, it was a moot issue.  You either knew about Tiger Inn or you didn’t. The last visit I made to Tiger Inn was for dad's funeral.  Dennis and I both started to cry at the same time when we saw each other, and it was pointless to try and say anything to assuage the grief.  He told me 'I am so sorry' and I said 'I am too' and that was pretty much all we were capable of saying.  I shook his hand, thanked him for the food and left.”

     My sister Laurene remembers residing with Mom and Dad in Loreauville as she recuperated from her bout with Guillain–Barré syndrome  during her pregnancy with her Natalie. For two months, nurses wheeled her down the sidewalk to the Tiger Inn and back as she tried to regain use of her legs. Dennis would stick his head out of the window at Tiger Inn and yell, “GET OUTTA THAT THING AND WALK!”  She also recalls that he reported dangers noted on children, grandchildren, and siblings for over thirty years.  

    Wanda, my third sister, recalls that Dennis Laviolette managed leased Tiger Inn and sold alcohol there until neighbors’ complaints halted the alcohol sales. Wanda lives behind Tiger Inn which was a stopping point and hang out for her two boys, Beau and Taylor as they rode bikes all over Loreauville. Beau, career Army, lives in Okinawa with his family, and Taylor is an employee at Cox Enterprises in New Iberia.

    Jacquie Dastugue, my niece, was heartbroken at Dennis death. She and her mother live next door to my parents. Jacquie practically lived at Tiger Inn. Dennis and Linda babysat her when she was ten to twelve years old whenever Mom and Dad traveled on Senior citizen trips. She and Taylor played in the game room for hours each day and got free snack food from the Romeros. AMD set up a charge account for Jacquie’s meals, the only charge account in Loreauville at Tiger Inn. Jacquie insisted on eating shrimp po-boys every day for dinner and supper. AMD paid the food fees every week until Jacquie reached 18. Jacquie closed her charge account in 2003 when her daughter Kandis was born.

 Jacquie insisted on eating shrimp po-boys every day for dinner and supper. AMD paid the food fees every week until Jacquie reached 18. Jacquie closed her charge account in 2003 when her daughter Kandis was born.

I am certain that Dennis death brought back the tremendous grief Jacquie felt at the death of her grandfather, my dad.

Word is that Tiger Inn will remain open for the time being. I hope it does not go the way of Aunt Tees, Massos, and T Lees.