Jerome Scott was 50 years old, but according to his daughter Jasmine, he had the energy and outgoingness of a far younger man.
“He still acted like he was 21,” she said. “He was a people person and a people pleaser.”
An alum and football standout at Hahnville High School and a native of Killona, Scott passed away suddenly on July 17, the result of a brain aneurysm. His death came several months after he was involved in a hit-and-run accident while riding his motorcycle, according to his daughter.
“He was complaining of a headache … he said he felt like he was spinning,” said Jasmine. “His fiancée left to go get some ibuprofen. When she got back, he was unresponsive. His eyes were open and he was making this breathing noise, like it was hard for him to breathe.
“She’s in the medical field, and she did CPR … they airlifted him to Ochsner.”
Doctors determined he had a massive brain bleed with blood rapidly filling his brain. Ultimately, not enough blood could be drained to save his life.
The motorcycle accident occurred in March and it necessitated surgery.
“Someone on the highway saw him when it happened and pulled over to help. A lot of people tried to help,” said Jasmine.
Jasmine said it’s not known if the incident has a direct link to her father’s death. She said he was seemingly able to get back to normal, or at least close to it, following surgery.
But there are some indications, she said, that the accident might have played a large role.
“He was complaining of headaches almost every day (after the accident),” said Jasmine.
She said Scott had just visited her and her six children in Arkansas not long before his death. Jasmine said she had some indication that Scott was dealing with some health issues, but that he consistently downplayed it for her and her siblings. Chief among those issues was that he believed he was battling congestive heart failure, Jasmine said, but he hoped to shield his children from the seriousness of those issues.
“He’d give us bits and pieces, but he’d laugh it off,” she said. “Us being his kids, I don’t think he wanted us to worry as much. But he was going through a lot.”
She said her father – who was affectionately nicknamed Roni by most who knew him – was devoted to his family and that toward the end of his life, he was especially intentional about traveling to spend time with Jasmine and her four siblings.
The family recently held a plate lunch fundraiser to raise money in order to give Scott a proper burial. He did not have life insurance and his sudden passing left the family without means to cover funeral arrangements.
Jasmine said she spoke with someone with the Jefferson Parish coroner’s office about cremation assistance but learned that if the parish handled the cremation, the family would likely not receive Scott’s ashes, and that he could be cremated with multiple other individuals.
“That’s not what we want for him … I’m a single mom of six struggling myself … my siblings and I need to see him laid to rest properly,” Jasmine said. “We just need help.”
They’ve also set up a GoFundMe toward that goal, titled “Help lay Roni to rest.”
