Obituary of William Palmer

William Edward “Bill” Palmer, devoted husband, father, and grandfather, passed away on April 8, 2014, due to age-related causes. He was 79.Bill was born on July 28, 1934 in Bell, CA to William Edward Sr. and Dorothy Marie Palmer. He graduated from Inglewood High School and attended a local community college before being drafted into the U.S. Army in 1954. He served as a mechanic in Stuttgart, Germany.Bill married Carol Arthur on April 14, 1963 in Reno, NV. The couple lived in Sunnyvale, CA where Bill became a union electrician. They moved to Eugene in 1977, where Bill continued as a proud member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, working on a number of large regional construction projects, including the UO Knight Library, the Lively Pool in Springfield, the widening of 6th and 7th Avenues and River Road in Eugene, the Hult Center for the Performing Arts, OSU’s LaSells Stewart Center, and the former Hyundai microchip plant.Bill is survived by his wife Carol and their three children: daughter Jodie Rogers, husband Cody, and grandson Jonathan of Eugene; son Bill Palmer and wife Spring of Springfield; and son Jason Palmer and wife Andrea of Portland. He is also survived by his sister Coralie Fancey of Kennewick, WA and twin brother Robert Palmer of Eugene. Bill had three children from a previous marriage: Rick Palmer of Rockaway Beach, MO; Michael Palmer of Oklahoma; and Chris Utt of Polo, MO; as well as 13 grandchildren.As youths in L.A. in the late 40s and 50s, Bill and his brother Bob enjoyed building and racing their ’37 Chevy. As an adult, Bill had a wide variety of hobbies and interests, building and restoring everything from cars, planes, firearms, motorcycles, and antique clocks, and he took great pride in various home improvement and landscaping projects. He was an active participant and supporter of his children’s activities, including 4H, scouting, and music. In 1994, he took the trip of a lifetime with his twin brother Bob, flying an experimental aircraft from Harrisburg, OR to Branson, MO.An informal reception for Bill will be held at Musgrove Family Mortuary on Saturday, April 19th from 10 am–12 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations in Bill’s memory be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.Arrangements entrusted to Musgrove Family Mortuary. Please access the obituary and you are invited to sign the guestbook at musgroves.com