Rosemarie Mussallem D’Amour, above right, assistant to two chief judges of the 4th Judicial Circuit during her 10-year career with the court, died April 9 after battling cancer for three years. She was 68.
When Circuit Judge Eric Roberson was sworn in by Chief Judge Mark Mahon, there were two people he wanted to make sure stood with him at the private ceremony: His wife, Helen, who held the Bible, and D’Amour.
Mahon said Roberson’s invitation exemplifies the relationship she had with everyone who works at the Duval County Courthouse.
“She loved people and she had an amazing personality,” he said.
Until she went on medical leave in October, Mahon said her routine was to arrive at 6:30 a.m. and remain near her desk the entire day.
“I don’t remember her ever going out to lunch. She’d bring her lunch or someone would bring her something because she hated to think she was going to miss someone,” he said.
Mahon added that it wasn’t uncommon for staff members to come to his office not because they had court business, but just to say hello to D’Amour.
“To some extent, she was the face of the circuit,” Mahon said.