Jr. William G. Palmer

William Gordon Palmer Jr, 87, of Raytown, MO., born October 2, 1932 to William and Verlon Palmer, passed away quietly on November 3 in Overland Park, KS. "Bill," as his many friends and relatives knew him, grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. In high school Bill took ROTC and graduated in 1949 from Central High in Kansas City. Following in the footsteps of his brother Harold, as soon as he turned 18 Bill, along with childhood friends Bob Goetz and Donald Hale, joined the Army. As a member of the Army during the Korean War some of Bill’s fondest memories were of the people he met and relationships he built during this time. While still in the Army Bill married his childhood sweetheart Shirley J. Norman on May 19, 1953. Married for 54 years, she preceded him in death in 2008. Following the war he worked various jobs before landing a spot at Kansas City Power and Light where he worked the next 40 years before retiring in 1994. As with the Army, Bill often talked fondly of his time at KCPL. He liked coaching and teaching children and was instrumental in setting up the T-ball program within the Raytown YMCA. He was also a past President of the Raytown South High School Booster Club. He spent the last eight years of his life living happily with his girlfriend Pat Shaw in Lee’s Summit, MO.

Survivors include his daughter, Melinda Woolworth (Bryan) and two sons Bill Palmer (Kathy) and Stephen Palmer (Suzi), eight grandchildren: Ryan, Kyle, Erin, Billy, Brett, Alayna, Jessica and Stephanie, and ten great grandchildren. Services will be held on November 23 at Park Lawn Funeral Home, 8251 Hillcrest Road, Kansas City, MO 64138. The family would like to thank ComfortCare Homes of Kansas City for the loving care they showed for Bill during his last few months. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in his name to Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas/Catholic Community Hospice at https://catholiccharitiesks.org/donate/

Visitation will be 12PM, with memorial services to follow at 1PM, Saturday, November 23 at Park Lawn Funeral Home, 8251 Hillcrest Rd.; private burial in Memorial Park Cemetery.