Charles Orville Palmer

Charles "Chuck" Palmer passed away at his home in Camarillo on January 1, 2008, after a long and brave battle with leukemia. His wife Kathy was by his side. He is survived by his wife Kathy, to whom he was married for 47 years, his son, Dale and wife, Karen and their two children, Ryan and Rachel of Thousand Oaks, his daughter, Shelly and her husband, Kevin and their three sons, Matthew, Christian, and Payton of Camarillo, and his daughter, Melinda, and her husband, Brad and their two daughters, Lauren and Cecelia of Agoura Hills, his mother, Jean Palmer and sister Carol Petersen of Fort Collins, Colorado, sister Betty Hall of Wenatchee, Washington, and sister Linda Mikels of Rancho Cucamonga, California. Chuck was born on October 29, 1936 in Walnut, Iowa. After high school, he served in the United States Army from 1957 to 1959 during which time he walked on and ultimately started on the United States Army Football Team that competed against other countries in Europe. He returned home to Harlan, Iowa after the tragic death of his brother, Dale. In 1960, he married Kathryn Ann Voge in Harlan, Iowa and they had their son, Dale. Chuck followed in his father's and grandfather's footsteps entering into a career in the construction industry. The following year the family moved to Colorado and spent the next 10 years where Chuck was rapidly promoted and successful in development of residential tracts, office space, and retail construction. During this time, Shelly was born in 1962 and Melinda in 1968. In 1974, Chuck was asked to partner with a new development company concentrated on the expanding real estate market in Wyoming. Over the next 12 years, Chuck owned and managed a land development business responsible for the construction of single and multi-family residences. Over the span of a 50 year career, conservatively Chuck built 12 to 15 thousand residential dwelling units and tens of thousands of square feet of retail and office space. Chuck was the President of the Home Builders Association of Converse County, Wyoming, Chairman of the Committee to host Wyoming State Home Builders Convention in Douglas and was the Chairman of the Advisory Committee to the City of Douglas, Wyoming. In 1986, Chuck and Kathy briefly returned to Fort Collins, Colorado and then along with Melinda, joined their other children Dale and Shelly in California in 1987. Over the next twenty years in Southern California, Chuck continued to work in the construction industry, while still finding time to enjoy his children and his seven grandchildren. Chuck had many hobbies including golf, fishing, hunting and woodworking. He loved sports and was very proud of being involved with Little League Baseball in Fort Collins, Colorado; he was a life-long faithful Denver Bronco fan and was a loyal fan to his grandchildren in all their sporting endeavors. A special thanks to his family physician Dr. Wilson Fung of Camarillo, CA. His dedication and compassion to Chuck and his family was exemplary.