Untitled Document

Romrell follows in older brother’s footsteps
at D5's Montpelier shed

Byron Romrell was serving as Foreman at the Montpelier maintenance shed at the time of his passing in 2001. His younger brother, DeLoy, hired on in 2003, is keeping the family tradition alive at ITD. For the last several years, DeLoy has been serving in that same capacity at the same maintenance shed.

Shortly after winning first place in the foremen category at the D5 truck roadeo in 2001, Byron was diagnosed with leukemia and was unable to compete in the statewide competition. A few short weeks later, lTD lost one of its best foreman and biggest roadeo proponents. Byron was just 45 years old.

Byron started working for ITD in 1982 after a stint with the Bear Lake County Road and Bridge Department. He started as a Highway Maintenance Operator Trainee in Montpelier and was promoted to foreman in 1988.

DeLoy began his journey at the Montpelier shed and has remained there ever since. He was hired in April 2003, became leadworker in March 2013, and was promoted to foreman in February of 2016.

“Byron always gave all his duties as foreman 110%,” said long-time D5 engineer Brian Poole, who was Maintenance Engineer at the time of Byron’s passing.

When the Adopt-A-Highway litter pickup program started, Byron was the first, and one of the few, that had all roadway sections adopted. Romrell was presented with an Adopt-A-Highway award in 1999 for “outstanding service” to that program.

“He was a good man and took his job seriously when it came to the people in the Bear Lake Valley and those traveling through our beautiful area,” said DeLoy.

Poole said Romrell understood the importance of continually improving the skills he and his crew needed to keep highways open and well maintained.

“Whether it was the roadeo, the Adopt-A-Highway program, or just everyday efforts to maintain traffic, Byron excelled at it. He was a foreman’s foreman,” Poole said.

Romrell was active in his community and in his church, and he was a very supportive father to his family. He was known throughout the department for his positive attitude, warm personality and sense of humor. He took his position very seriously and cared about the safety of those traveling in the Bear Lake Valley.

“He was genuinely concerned about the morale and welfare of the crew under his charge,” said D5 District Engineer Ed Bala. “He was constantly in search of ways to make his job and his foreman area the best it could be. Byron was an excellent husband, father, brother and friend, and we miss him deeply.”

When Byron died, his crew paid tribute to him in a special way. They cleaned every big piece of equipment, and parked them in front of the shed on the way to the cemetery with the back row of vehicles, rotators flashing and Byron’s pickup in the center — up front with the lights off.

DeLoy followed suit with a special tribute of his own a few years ago.

Randy Rex served ITD from 1998 to 2013, passing away in 2017. He worked under Byron for a few years, then worked with DeLoy for about 12 years.

“We lined US-30 with ITD vehicles and then stood outside our vehicles as the funeral procession went by,” DeLoy explained. “We as a crew went to the viewing to show our respect for Randy, where we were asked on the spot to be pall bearers by his wife.

"After the graveside service, a man came up to me and said he served in the military and what he saw in our act of service was as good, if not better, than a 21-gun salute.”

“This simple act not only brought our crew closer together, but left an impact on the family and also the community,” DeLoy said. “We still have people comment on the loyalty of ITD. I would like to continue this tradition as long as I can.”

Justin Skinner, who has worked under both Romrell men in the Montpelier shed, sees a lot of similarities:

"Both Romrell brothers were and still are very dedicated and concerned about the traveling public's safety, about ITD policy, and about the people working in the Montpelier maintenance shed. Byron was and DeLoy is really good to work for, and both of them cared and does care about me as a person."

A great recent example of DeLoy's community mindedness came earlier this week, when Idaho Dept. of Fish & Game reached out to ITD to find a partner in helping to prevent the spread of CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease). Idaho does not yet have the problem, but Montana and Wyoming have it in their mule-deer population, so IDFG is trying to get a handle on it before it spreads.

Within hours, DeLoy committed to having his crew carry testing kits in their trucks so they can take samples from roadkill. ITD is able to clear the animals from the roadway more quickly than if they had to wait for Fish & Game to take the sample, and it also helps to alleviate the workload for IDFG.

Bala and Steve Gertonson, the D5 Operation Manager, are as happy with DeLoy as they were with Byron.

“DeLoy has a demeanor about him that makes him a natural-born leader,” said Gertonson. “DeLoy provides a character and atmosphere at the Montpelier shed that builds teamwork, character and keeps a culture fostering among the crew that is in alignment with ITD goals and objectives.”

“DeLoy is an excellent leader – with a high concern for people as well as results,” Bala added.

“He has a calm, decisive manner that makes others want to be around him, and he also has a unique way of making work fun. In other words, a day hardly goes by when I don’t think, ‘Man, we made a great choice in hiring him’.”

In keeping the flame lit, DeLoy is well aware of the significance he bears in keeping the Romrell name alive at ITD, and the privilege it is to pick up where Byron left off.

“It makes a younger brother proud. I’m honored to be able to call him my brother.”