Martin Palmer

Martin A. Palmer CHARLOTTESVILLE - Martin Amorous Palmer of Charlottesville, Va., died after a short illness Sept. 15, 2009. Born in Columbus, Ga., on June 26, 1924, he was the son of the late Isabel Amorous Palmer and William Randolph Moore Palmer. He attended Woodberry Forest School and graduated from the University of Virginia in 1948, where he was the president of the Zeta Psi Fraternity, president of the Intra-Fraternity Council and lettered on the varsity football team. Buck, as he was known to his many friends and family, served with the U.S. Navy during World War II and in the Korean conflict, retiring from the Naval Reserve with the rank of lieutenant commander. He worked for People's National Bank which became Virginia National Bank, and later Sovran Bank, from which he retired as senior vice-president in 1986. During many of these years he and his wife Maria resided in Virginia Beach. He held memberships in the Farmington Hunt Club, the Farmington Country Club, and the Boar's Head Sports Club. While living in Virginia Beach, he was a member of the Princess Anne Country Club. His presence will be greatly missed at the men's Friday Lunch Group at Farmington. An avid sportsman, Buck enjoyed hunting with his friends and family and was a member of the Deep Creek Gun Club on the Eastern Shore. He was predeceased by his wife, Maria Jones Palmer; his only son, William Randolph Moore Palmer who died in 2003; and his brother, George C. Palmer II. He is survived by his daughter-in-law, Hunter Wright Palmer; his beloved grandchildren, Caroline Maria Palmer and Martin Randolph Palmer. His longtime companion, Nancy Perkins Petty, added joy and comfort in the final years of his life. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Susanne Gier Palmer; his nephew, George C. Palmer III and his wife Constance; and by his niece, Elizabeth Palmer Mossman. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to St. Paul's Ivy Church, P.O. Box 37, Ivy, VA 22945 or Woodberry Forest School, Woodberry Forest, VA 22989. There will be a graveside service at St. Paul's Ivy Church today, Sept. 19, at 11 a.m. officiated by the Rev. H. Miller Hunter Jr. A reception will immediately follow the service in the parish hall.