CANCUN, Mexico (21 July 2008) — Sean Palma stood on the front steps of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, looked at his new bride and told family members he couldn't believe his luck. He had just married his dream girl, Heather LeBron, in front of 150 people, and the couple were about to embark on a Mexican honeymoon. He had never felt happier, more excited or more in love, relatives said. That was June 28. Today, Palma is dead, and his wife is coming home from their honeymoon carrying his ashes in a box. "She says her heart and soul has died," said Renč LeBron, Heather Palma's father. "All she does is cry and say she wants Sean back." LeBron and other members of Heather Palma's family gave this account Sunday: The honeymooners, who had been in Mexico since Wednesday, went snorkeling Saturday afternoon in Rivera de Maya, Mexico, a resort town about an hour south of Cancun. After swimming through coral reefs and looking at colorful tropical fish, Palma, 38, decided to swim back to the snorkeling boat anchored a few yards away. He told his wife, who is 25, that he would meet her at the boat. Witnesses said they saw Palma swimming toward the boat. An instant later, he appeared lifeless. When those onboard pulled Palma from the water, he was unresponsive. They tried to revive him, but it was too late. "Just all of a sudden, he was not there," LeBron said. "He never made it back." Palma died nearly three weeks to the minute after the Rev. Stephen Gutgsell pronounced him and Heather husband and wife. LeBron said family members suspect Palma had a heart attack, because he had been taking medication for high blood pressure. Initial autopsy reports support that theory, LeBron said his daughter told him. Palma had his share of hard times, but things began to turn around after he met Heather about six years ago. He worked as a manager at Gold's Gym and coached soccer at Blessed Sacrament. "He said meeting Heather was like waking from a bad dream," LeBron said, fighting back his own tears. "When Sean met my daughter, he just fell in love with her." | | Sean Palma, 38, and his wife, Heather, were married June 28 at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Omaha. The two had begun to build a life together with Palma's three sons: Geoff, Nick and Kyler. "This is really hard," Kyler, age 13, said Sunday. "I'm just trying to keep my head up and stay strong." Heather Palma last saw her husband on Saturday night, when she identified his body at a police station. She told her parents she wasn't coming home without Sean, but she discovered that it costs thousands to ship a body to the U.S. from Mexico, her father said. The only way she could afford to bring back her husband's remains was to have him cremated. Marcy LeBron, a sister, is en route to Mexico to accompany the new bride home. Marcy LeBron and two other sisters sang at Heather and Sean's wedding — a song called "Wherever You Go." The song is based on two different Bible verses and includes this line: "Deep waters cannot quench this love; the ocean will not sweep it away." Palma, a grandfather of three, is also survived by his mother, Francine Palma; grandmother Lorraine Palma; and sisters Erin, Jacquie, Patricia and Katie. |
