RALPH W. PALMER

1935 - 2023

RALPH W. PALMER
Ralph W. Palmer, age 87, of Bullhead City, Arizona, passed away on Sunday, January 29, 2023 at Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ralph was born on August 2, 1935 in Barnsdall, OK to parents, Walter and Harriet Palmer.
He grew up at a pipeline station on Horse Creek in Wyoming, graduated from Cheyenne High School, studied geology at the University of Wyoming, and served in the National Guard. Ralph was an avid downhill skier and served on the ski patrol at Bridger Bowl in Bozeman, Montana for three seasons. For his 80th birthday he went sky diving, and later that year went skiing with his son and granddaughter.
Ralph was united in marriage to his beloved wife, Karen, on June 8, 1960 in Fort Collins, Colorado. As many of his generation did, he worked for the same company (Conoco) for more than 30 years, serving as the Director of Safety for the pipeline company before moving back to Wyoming.
For the last 30 years of his life, he and Karen crisscrossed the country with their RV before settling full-time in Bullhead City. Ralph's enthusiasm for life was best exemplified in his adventures on a ski mountain. Always an early riser, he sought out the first tracks of the day. He'd approach the edge of the cliff, and with little warning he'd shout "We go" and jump into the snow, lean back on his skis, and leave a cloud of powder trailing behind him. He could float the top of snow with boards that were two feet longer than his own height, a skill first learned on the bear trap style bindings used by the 10th Mountain Division in WWII. Ralph was always there to lend a hand, using the mechanical skills he learned, riveting planes for Douglas Aircraft and then as a pipeliner for Conoco. If you needed something fixed, he'd jump in to help.
He was preceded in death by his son, Wayne (Josie) Palmer of West Allis, WI.
Ralph is survived by his wife of 63 years, Karen Palmer (Sinner); son, Charles (Toni) Palmer of Waukesha, WI; grandchildren, Jack Palmer and Grace Palmer.
A private service will be held near Cheyenne, WY at a future date. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be sent to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or the Ronald McDonald House Charities.