PATRICK C. PALMER, 79
Patrick passed away on February 3, 2020 at the Masonic Home of Florida in St. Petersburg, FL. He was born the middle child of James and Beatrice Palmer on November 11, 1940.
He is survived by his brother and sister-in-law Philip & Brenda Palmer, sister-in-law Jean Carey, nieces Rhonda Kins, Nancy Spooner & DeRenda Van Den Bogaert, and nephew Nathan Palmer.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Joan Cox, and his beloved wife of 53 years Brenda Palmer. Pat met Brenda at a New Year’s Eve party in 1965 and they were married a few months later on February 26, 1966.
Pat served in the Navy for 9 years. His ship was on standby in the Caribbean during the Cuban Missile Crisis. After his military service, he and Brenda moved to Mobile, Alabama where he worked for Martha White. A new job with Eastern Airlines moved the couple to Miami Springs, Florida and Pat worked for Eastern until the company closed its doors in 1991. Pat went back to school to study computer science and became a programmer at the Department of Veterans Affairs. After retiring, he became a popular adjunct professor at FIU and a teacher at Miami Dade College.
Patrick was proud to be a Mason for 55 years. He was Master of Oleeta-West Dade Lodge in 1983 and was its Chaplin for 9 years. He was also Master of two different Memorial Lodges; #927 in Dade County in 2009 and #918 in Pinellas County from 2014-2017. Pat was also a member of the Scottish Rite for over 50 years and achieved the relatively rare honor of 33rd Degree in 2005.
Like his father, Pat had a love and a talent for writing. His compositions included poems, short stories and articles for newsletters. Love poems to Brenda were among his favorite to write, and there’s no doubt he’s reciting those to her again in Heaven.
A memorial service for Patrick will take place on Saturday, February 22nd at the Masonic Tarpon Lodge #112 located at 26 N. Ring Ave. in Tarpon Springs. The service will begin at 11am and all are welcome to attend as we celebrate the life of a great man, devoted husband, loving brother and uncle.