Obituary of Louis Palma

Louis Palma, age 89, of Little Falls, NJ and long-time Montclair resident, passed away peacefully on January 29, 2022, surrounded by his family. Born in Brooklyn, New York on September 25, 1932, and raised in Jamaica, Queens, Lou lived a full, energetic, and loving life as an avid chef, fisherman, Giants and Yankees fan, friend, and family man. He is survived by Susan, his wife of 49 years, sons Jeffrey (Amy) and Mark (Shaun), four grandchildren, Maggie, Carolyn, Lucy, and Kai, sisters Jennie, Josephine, Anna, and brother Joseph. He also leaves behind countless nieces, nephews, and friends who he always thought of and treated as his family. His ability to form close bonds with people across generations, backgrounds, and cultures was unrivaled.

After serving in the US Army during the Korean War in Hawaii, Lou worked in the lithography business as a press operator, ink specialist, and plant foreman, living in Douglaston, NY before relocating to Montclair, NJ in 1976. During that time, along with close friend Al Reinfelder, Lou created the Alou Tackle Company, which produced the Alou Eel – the first of the soft plastic striped bass fishing lures, which paved the way for many modern brands, and called by many the best-ever made. This business first brought him to Martha’s Vineyard in 1967, a place he visited regularly and cherished for the rest of his life, and where some of his most enduring friendships were made. Lou retired from the printing industry in the early-1990s and started a one-man handyman business – an endeavor he continued for many years. Again, this work introduced him to people who became part of his family.

Lou had a lifelong passion for cooking, which he shared with everyone he interacted with. He carried on Italian family traditions, with a particular fondness for Christmas Eve. He tended to his vegetable garden, taught himself how to smoke and cure meats, became a skilled baker, and loved to learn how to cook food from many ethnicities. Along with his quick wit, unfailing sense of humor, and great charm, Lou loved to bring people together around a table. Stories of meals cooked with and by Lou over the last 50-plus years are still regularly recounted and, no doubt, will be for many years to come.

A service will be held at St. Cassian Roman Catholic Church in Upper Montclair on February 2, 2022, at 10am. In lieu of flowers, please make a gift to Stripers Forever - https://www.stripersforever.org/ - or the charity of your choice.