VIDALIA — Vidalia’s Jon Betts was driving to Baton Rouge Sunday morning to see his friend and co-worker, Randy Temple, when he received a call telling him Temple had died.

Temple, who represents Ward 3-A on the Concordia Parish Police Jury, found out only recently he was suffering from lung cancer, which had apparently spread to other parts of his body. He died this morning at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge.

Betts and Temple worked together as field collectors for the Concordia Parish Department of Revenue. Betts is also a member of the Vidalia Board of Aldermen.

“He’s like a brother to me, to tell you the truth,” Betts said this morning. “We did a lot of things outside of work together. It was more than just a work relationship. We had a personal relationship. It’s a big loss for us.

“Tax work is not always the most pleasant thing, but we had fun working together. He was someone who liked to have fun while he was working. We laughed together and cried together,” he said.

Temple served on the Concordia Parish Policy Jury from 1983-1986 and began his current term in 2000.

“He was very conscientious about that job, as well. He was a true public servant in the fact that he felt people elected him to do a job and he was going to do that job to the best of his ability,” Betts said. “He had his opinion on how that should be done as far as doing the right thing. He was a man of integrity. If he gave his word to you, you could count on it. That’s a lost art these days, being able to give your word, or accept someone’s word, and know that he was going to keep it.”

His wife, Debbie, and three children survive Temple. He has been a Vidalia resident since 1964.