Shirley Webster Palmer-Ball

PALMER-BALL, SHIRLEY WEBSTER, 82, died Friday, August 17, 2012 with his family around him.

He was the son of the late Lawrence B. Palmer-Ball Sr. of Essex England and Virginia Vogt Palmer-Ball of Louisville. He is also preceded in death by his eight siblings, brothers, Charles, Lawrence, Nicholas, Benedict, Marion, Brainard; and sisters, Gertrude Booker and Virginia Bennett.

He was the retired president of the Palmer Products Corporation, a family owned manufacturing business. He was a former president of Lemon and Son Jewelers and Kentucky Bubbling Springs. He attended Anchorage School and Rugby School and he was a graduate of Howe Military School's Class of 1949. He attended Centre College until joining the US Army where he served in Germany from 1951 to 1953.

He was a member of Second Presbyterian Church where he served as a deacon, elder, trustee and on numerous committees. He was a member of the Downtown Rotary Club where he served as president and was a Paul Harris Fellow. He was a long time member of The Boy Scouts of America Old Kentucky Home Council and received the Boy Scouts Silver Beaver Award for distinguished service to youth in 1986. He was a founding member of the E. P. "Tom" Sawyer Park Foundation Board of Directors, and was a Life Member of the Sawyer Park Foundation. He served on the Salvation Army Board, the DePaul School Board, was a member of the Scottish Rite of Free Masonry 32nd degree, a Kosair Shriner, he was a member of the Royal Order of Jesters, a member of the Pendennis Club, Filson Club, Kentucky Historical Society, Historic Nashville, Inc., Charter Member of the St. Matthews Business Association, Executive Club, an honorary alumni of Louisville Male High School, and The President's Society of Bellarmine College.

He cherished his life on Surrey Hills Farm where he grew up, raised his children and lived close to many of his siblings. He loved working in his yard, on his antique cars and walking with his dogs.

He was active in the Republican Party and served in Governor Louis Nunn's cabinet from 1968 to 1971 where he was Commissioner of Alcoholic Beverage Control and Commissioner of Parks. He also served on the Kentucky Crime Commission. In 1975 he ran as the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor with Bob Gable.

Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Helen Howell, of Nashville, TN; his six children, Elizabeth Rosene (John), of West Terre Haute, IN, Helen Bush (John), Virginia Brown, Lawrence B. Palmer-Ball II (Rosemay), Connie Roitman (Roberto) and Charles Christopher Palmer-Ball; 11 grandchildren, Dorothy and Peter Rosene, Helen and Marnie Bush, Ginna and Laura Brown, Harrison, Rebecca and Sam Palmer-Ball, Aaron and Molly Roitman; and his beloved dogs, Ellie and Allie.

Pallbearers are Gary Bowman, Lewis Brown, Matthew Brown, James Halpin, Bill Keeling, Michael Kerpestein, Ronald Lenox, Steve Martin and Derek Porter.

Visitation is 4-8 p.m. Wednesday, August 22, 2012 at Pearson's 149 Breckinridge Lane. The funeral service is at 11 a.m. Thursday, August 23, 2012 in the Chapel at Second Presbyterian Church, 3701 Old Brownsboro Road, with burial to follow in Cave Hill Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers the family requests expressions of sympathy in the form of donations to the Rotary Promise Scholarship Project c/o the Rotary Club of Louisville, 401 W. Main St., Suite 810, 1 Riverfront Plaza, Louisville, KY 40202 or the charity of your choice.