Guy Michael Palumbo

In Loving Memory of

Guy Michael Palumbo

9/29/1958 - 12/31/2025

Guy M. Palumbo, 67, passed away on December 31, 2025, just outside of San Antonio, Texas. He was born September 29, 1958 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Emanuel J. Palumbo and Florence Orlando Palumbo, the youngest of their five children. He is preceded in death by his parents.

Guy is survived by his loving wife of 42 years, Zoeanne B. Palumbo, and their only child, Nicolas A. Palumbo, both of Garden Ridge, Texas. Guy is also survived by his siblings Donald Palumbo (Caroline) of Greenville, North Carolina, Carole Rost (Joe) of Renfrew, Pennsylvania, Nancy Palumbo of Bellingham, Washington, and Janet Palumbo-Lavery (Hugh) of Princeton, New Jersey, his sister-in-law, Roxanne Botelho of Honolulu, Hawaii, as well as several nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Guy graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1976. Following graduation, he enlisted in the US Navy. After completing his enlistment, Guy enrolled at Penn State University, and, realizing he'd had his fill of snow and cold, transferred to the University of Hawai i at Manoa, so that he could drive his MG Midget for more than 3 months out of the year. He completed a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1983, the same year that he married his classmate Zoeanne Botelho, and received Air Force commission as a Commissary Officer, and later served as a Services Officer. In 1989, he earned a Master of Science degree in Hospitality Management from Florida International University, where his favorite class, wine tasting, led to a lifelong interest in wine.

During his 28 years of service in the Air Force, Guy was driven by a sense of professionalism that made an impact on everyone who knew him. If something needed doing, it was going to get done well, on time, and sensibly. As a Services Officer, this lead to his oversight and improvement of lodging, child-care, food, entertainment, fitness, and mortuary facilities for the locations he was stationed and also during several assignments at the Air Force Services Agency. He made it a point to leave every duty station in better shape than when he arrived, with clear paths forward to continue improving the lives of Airmen, Civilians, and their families. Guy was stationed and deployed all over the world, including Louisiana, Texas, Saudi Arabia, Maryland, mainland Japan, New Mexico, Italy, Qatar, California, and Okinawa. Over the course of his career, Guy was awarded the Air Force Meritorious Medal with seven oak leaf clusters, the Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor Device, the Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, numerous Services and Air Force Best-Of-Year awards, and a Bronze Star Medal for his work as Officer in Charge, US Central Command Air Forces Central Distribution Center, during Desert Shield/Storm, ensuring that all deployed personnel had delicious meals, including holiday meals, no matter the circumstances.

After retiring as a Colonel in 2009, Guy served another 12 years in the Civil Service. He began his second career as Chief, Wing Plans for the 37th Training Wing at Lackland Air Force Base, before returning to his old workplace at the Air Force Services Agency as Deputy Director, Plans and Force Management. He then transitioned to the Air Force Personnel Center, where he served as the Deputy Director of Staff, followed by leading the DoD's Premier Disability Operations Team as Chief, USAF Physical Disability Division, where he spent the majority of his years in the Civil Service. Given the opportunity to build a team over such a long time, he would often comment on the joy he felt working alongside them, usually expressed by saying something to the effect of "My team is great, I could do this job forever." He begrudgingly retired due to disability in 2021 as a GS-15.

As a leader, Guy was not a man who sought out, nor received, universal love or adoration. However, his unwavering focus towards improvement and integrity did afford him a great deal of respect, success, and most importantly, life-long friendships.

Until his passing, he lived in the house he had dreamed of, and that he and Zoe finally built in 2014, with Zoe and Nic. He enjoyed good food, good wine, reading mystery novels, watching films, listening to classic and progressive rock music, traveling, cruises, and was a life-long Steelers fan. While the disease that eventually took him progressed rapidly, greatly limiting the things he was able to do, he was never without his family, his friends, his sense of humor, or his beautifully warm smile.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, March 14th from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Oak Valley Vineyards in San Antonio, TX. Internment at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific will follow at a later date.

Please RSVP for the Celebration of Life by going to the following linkGuy M. Palumbo, 67, passed away on December 31, 2025, just outside of San Antonio, Texas. He was born September 29, 1958 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Emanuel J. Palumbo and Florence Orlando Palumbo, the youngest of their five children. He is preceded in death by his parents.

Guy is survived by his loving wife of 42 years, Zoeanne B. Palumbo, and their only child, Nicolas A. Palumbo, both of Garden Ridge, Texas. Guy is also survived by his siblings Donald Palumbo (Caroline) of Greenville, North Carolina, Carole Rost (Joe) of Renfrew, Pennsylvania, Nancy Palumbo of Bellingham, Washington, and Janet Palumbo-Lavery (Hugh) of Princeton, New Jersey, his sister-in-law, Roxanne Botelho of Honolulu, Hawaii, as well as several nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Guy graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1976. Following graduation, he enlisted in the US Navy. After completing his enlistment, Guy enrolled at Penn State University, and, realizing he'd had his fill of snow and cold, transferred to the University of Hawai i at Manoa, so that he could drive his MG Midget for more than 3 months out of the year. He completed a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1983, the same year that he married his classmate Zoeanne Botelho, and received Air Force commission as a Commissary Officer, and later served as a Services Officer. In 1989, he earned a Master of Science degree in Hospitality Management from Florida International University, where his favorite class, wine tasting, led to a lifelong interest in wine.

During his 28 years of service in the Air Force, Guy was driven by a sense of professionalism that made an impact on everyone who knew him. If something needed doing, it was going to get done well, on time, and sensibly. As a Services Officer, this lead to his oversight and improvement of lodging, child-care, food, entertainment, fitness, and mortuary facilities for the locations he was stationed and also during several assignments at the Air Force Services Agency. He made it a point to leave every duty station in better shape than when he arrived, with clear paths forward to continue improving the lives of Airmen, Civilians, and their families. Guy was stationed and deployed all over the world, including Louisiana, Texas, Saudi Arabia, Maryland, mainland Japan, New Mexico, Italy, Qatar, California, and Okinawa. Over the course of his career, Guy was awarded the Air Force Meritorious Medal with seven oak leaf clusters, the Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor Device, the Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, numerous Services and Air Force Best-Of-Year awards, and a Bronze Star Medal for his work as Officer in Charge, US Central Command Air Forces Central Distribution Center, during Desert Shield/Storm, ensuring that all deployed personnel had delicious meals, including holiday meals, no matter the circumstances.

After retiring as a Colonel in 2009, Guy served another 12 years in the Civil Service. He began his second career as Chief, Wing Plans for the 37th Training Wing at Lackland Air Force Base, before returning to his old workplace at the Air Force Services Agency as Deputy Director, Plans and Force Management. He then transitioned to the Air Force Personnel Center, where he served as the Deputy Director of Staff, followed by leading the DoD's Premier Disability Operations Team as Chief, USAF Physical Disability Division, where he spent the majority of his years in the Civil Service. Given the opportunity to build a team over such a long time, he would often comment on the joy he felt working alongside them, usually expressed by saying something to the effect of "My team is great, I could do this job forever." He begrudgingly retired due to disability in 2021 as a GS-15.

As a leader, Guy was not a man who sought out, nor received, universal love or adoration. However, his unwavering focus towards improvement and integrity did afford him a great deal of respect, success, and most importantly, life-long friendships.

Until his passing, he lived in the house he had dreamed of, and that he and Zoe finally built in 2014, with Zoe and Nic. He enjoyed good food, good wine, reading mystery novels, watching films, listening to classic and progressive rock music, traveling, cruises, and was a life-long Steelers fan. While the disease that eventually took him progressed rapidly, greatly limiting the things he was able to do, he was never without his family, his friends, his sense of humor, or his beautifully warm smile.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, March 14th from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Oak Valley Vineyards in San Antonio, TX. Internment at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific will follow at a later date.

Please RSVP for the Celebration of Life by going to the following link https://guypalumbocol.rsvpify.com