Paul Rogers Cleveland
July 20, 1942 – November 12, 2014
Paul in his U.S. Naval uniform
The unexpected passing of Paul Rogers Cleveland was a loss that left a giant hole in the hearts of both family and friends he left behind. Born and raised in Baton Rouge, Paul was a graduate of Istrouma Senior High School, a veteran of the United States Navy, and was the owner of Cleveland’s Automotive Equipment Sales. Paul is survived by his two daughters, Paris and Mindy, his son, Paul Anthony, multiple grand and great-children, two sisters, Cathy and Eula, a brother, Darryl, and many nieces and nephews. He is remembered fondly by his family and friends for his generosity and full heart. Paul spent his time helping his family and his community in any way he could. “There was never a time in his life, that I can recall, when he wasn’t helping someone with something,” his sister Cathy recalls.
From left to right: Charles Norrell, Henry Broussard Sr., Paul R. Cleveland
Paul owned his own business, Cleveland’s Automotive Equipment Sales, which sold automotive equipment to repair shops. According to his sister, Cathy, he was known throughout the area as the very best at automotive diagnostics. Paul was a one-of-a-kind crackerjack mechanic, as his family describes him, detailing that “he could actually hear something and diagnose it.” Cathy recalls calling Paul for help and putting the phone up to her car for him to listen and diagnose the issue. She remembers Paul teaching her how to care for her own car and diagnose and fix her own car problems. Paul made sure his sister was literate in various diagnoses, as she put it, “I would know if a tire was out of balance, if my car was running hot, if it was a hose…those things are valuable for single women. He made sure that I could take care of myself.” Many times, if a friend brought Paul a car that he couldn’t repair himself, he would trade pieces of equipment from his work in exchange for another business to fix the person’s car. “It was little things like that that made him who he was,” Cathy says, and people admired and loved him for it.
Paul R. Cleveland
In his free time Paul loved to cook, and he was excellent at it. Paul had an open-door approach in his house and would feed anyone anytime they needed a meal. Around the holidays especially, he would cook volumes of food and feed not only his family and friends, but also anyone who may have been down on their luck. “He was always cooking something, but especially on holidays he wanted to make it so that people who didn’t have a place to be could be there,” Cathy fondly remembers. Paul was the type of man who would help you with anything you ever needed, even if you didn’t call for help. If he thought you needed anything, he was there to help. Paul’s niece, Sherrilyn, recalls how her “Uncle Roger” could not stand to see anyone doing without, “there is nothing he wouldn’t do for you, that was who he was.” She even remembers a time when, after a misunderstood phone call, he showed up on
Paul and his eldest granddaughter on her wedding day
her doorstep with an arm full of groceries and a pork roast because he thought she hadn’t been able to go grocery shopping that week. “He was just that kinda guy,” Sherrilyn says, “[Paul] was the kind of guy to celebrate his daughter, Mindy’s, college graduation with a feast big enough for the whole town.” “He invited everybody,” she said, “if he ran into somebody they were invited.”
While his family looked back on memories they’ve shared with Paul fondly, they do not want you to think he was just some “goodie two shoes” either, since he could be mischievous as well. Sherrilyn tells a story about a time when her boys were around 4 and 5 years old riding in the pickup truck with their Uncle Roger and Uncle Darryl. As she passed in the car next to them, Sherrilyn looked over and “the boys were flipping the bird to me, okay?” And when they finally stopped, and she got out of the car to ask her kids and her uncles about it, they laughed and said their Uncle Roger had taught them how to flip the bird. “I told them you’re not giving the bird,” she said, laughing along too. Sherrilyn continued, “[Uncle Roger] taught ‘em all kinds of funny things.” Later, she recalls memories of her and her cousins learning how to drive an old VW bug with their Uncle Roger. They lived in Ascension Parish at the time, and he would let all of the cousins, who were all around 12 and 13 at the time, drive out to a pasture out back on their family’s land. While the other adults told them they didn’t need to be out driving anywhere, Uncle Roger kept on taking them, and Sherrylin is glad he did, as she looks back on those special memories now.
From left to right: Darryl Cleveland, Cathy Broussard-McLaurin, Paul R. Cleveland
When Paul’s sister, Cathy, is asked what she thinks about when she thinks of Paul, she thinks back to the days of being a single mother with young children and how he was always there to help her and support her and her children with anything. “I’ve been blessed with two brothers who’ve always been involved in my life and were very caring.
Paul and his brother, Darryl Cleveland
If I had an issue with the car or my job or whatever, I could call them and say ‘Hey this is what’s going on, what do you think?’ And they were always there for me,” she says.
Paul’s death while incarcerated was not only a tragedy, but it was also preventable. Paul had multiple diagnosed health conditions that were improperly cared for while he was incarcerated. His family called the facility daily to try and ensure that Paul was receiving proper care; however, many times they found that he was not. They called to speak to him as much as possible and made as many inquiries with prison employees as they could into the status of Paul’s care and mental health. He was not given his medication and at times denied his glasses. While incarcerated, Paul documented as much as possible through written complaints, but the lack of proper physical and mental health care eventually led to a heart attack that took his life. His family continues to fight for justice and wants to spread awareness about the inhumane treatment that incarcerated people face in East Baton Rouge Parish Prison every day.
Author: Taylor Cleveland
Sources:
- Paul’s niece, Sherrilyn Broussard Sabo
- Paul’s sister, Cathy McLaurin
- https://obits.theadvocate.com/us/obituaries/theadvocate/name/paul-cleveland-obituary?id=19240555
- https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/courts/federal-judge-refuses-to-toss-prison-wrongful-death-suit/article_4c0fc2e6-5806-11e6-b47d-3354aaf60a7c.html