NORTH WILDWOOD – Former Mayor Aldo Palombo Sr. died on Saturday, Jan. 27, at age 90, the city announced. Palombo operated Palombo’s Pharmacy at 12th and New Jersey avenues in North Wildwood and served as mayor from 1994 to 2005.

City Clerk Scott Jett served with Palombo for a year in North Wildwood government, and worked at Palombo’s Pharmacy while he was in college.

“He knew me my whole life. He was our pharmacist,” Jett said. Probably hundreds of people could say the same thing, he said.

“He was the nicest guy you ever wanted to know,” he said. “If you ever had a question he would always respond.”

Current Mayor Patrick Rosenello said he first met Palombo as a very young man, when he was friends with Palombo’s youngest son.

“He was the first person to ask me to run for public office in North Wildwood, and we served together for my first two years on City Council,” Rosenello said in a prepared statement. “From my very first memory of him all the way up to and through his time as mayor he was the consummate gentleman. North Wildwood owes much to Mayor Aldo Palombo, and his memory will live on for many generations in this city that he did so much to shape.”

Palombo was the 15th mayor of North Wildwood, during what was described in the statement as “a very difficult time in the history of the city.” The statement said that in 1994, “vacant and dilapidated buildings dotted the North Wildwood landscape. Motels along John F. Kennedy Boulevard sat vacant and boarded up even during the summer months. The city budget was suffering from a lack of tax revenue due to property values being depressed.”

The statement said Palombo brought “his indomitable optimism and incredible energy” to the office of mayor and initiated many of the special events and parades that are now beloved traditions in the city.

“He was the ultimate ambassador for North Wildwood and was always eager to grasp any chance to help promote the city, including marching in the Mummers New Year’s Day Parade in Philadelphia. Many people credit his initiatives with helping to revive interest in North Wildwood, which has led to a decades-long increase in property values in the city,” the statement said.

The statement also said Palombo opened up the workings of city government to many ordinary citizens through the creation of various boards and commissions that welcomed and encouraged residents and property owners to participate in the functioning of city government.

The City of North Wildwood expressed its sympathy to his family.

A funeral service was held on Thursday, Feb. 1, at the Church of the Resurrection of St. Maximillian Kolbe Parish. Arrangements were made by the Godfrey Funeral Home. Donations can be made in Palombo’s memory to Cape May County Special Services District Education Foundation Inc.

Contact the author, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.