Sept. 22, 2017

BELLINGHAM, Wash. -

William "Bill" Palmer was an incredible teacher, wonderful family man and standout golfer. He spent a good deal of time at Western Washington University during his 67 years, having a big impact on the school as it did on him, before his life ended on Sept. 12, 2017.

Palmer was born on Dec. 22, 1949, in Downey, Calif. In 1954, his family moved to Bellingham, his father being a purchasing agent for the newly built Mobil Oil Refinery west of Ferndale. He was the youngest of four children, the others being sisters Jane, Nancy and Carol.

Living on North Forest Street, just a few blocks from campus, Bill's father Ted would take him to athletic events at then Western Washington College of Education.

Palmer watched the Vikings play basketball in the Physical Education Building, which housed Western's home court on its second floor for a quarter century. He was there the night in 1960 when they snapped Pacific Lutheran's 41-game winning streak and later that year when WWCE won the NAIA District 1 championship to secure its first national tournament appearance at Kansas City, Missouri.

As a student at Fairhaven Middle School, Bill attended a Louie Armstrong concert at Sam Carver Gymnasium, which was added to the P.E. Building in 1961. During intermission, the ever-inquisitive Palmer walked into a locker room only to find himself face-to-face with the famous trumpet player.

Armstrong asked Bill if he played the horn, which Palmer did, and said in his deep baritone voice, "If you're gonna play the horn, you gotta practice."

Palmer also was at Carver Gym to watch numerous now Western Washington State College basketball games in the early and mid-1960s. He would always sit right behind the Viking bench so that he could hear Coach Chuck Randall's instructions to his players.

One of Palmer's fondest memories was when Western scored a huge upset over national powerhouse Seattle Pacific with the help of some pre-game psychological ploys (i.e. conducting its pre-game warm-up on the P.E. Building court and having its smallest player jump at the opening tip-off). Another was watching the Vikings win the district crown in 1972 over Eastern Washington and go on to reach the national quarterfinals, the program's best season until the turn of the century.

Palmer always felt right at home on the Western campus because his grade school years were spent at the Campus School. Before Western sent student teachers to various schools throughout the area, the college had an elementary school on its campus in what is now called Miller Hall.

Palmer was a ninth grader at Bellingham High School, but as a sophomore transferred to brand-new Sehome High School. There he competed for the Mariners in golf, basketball and tennis.

After graduation from Sehome, Palmer attended Western where he was a four-year letter winner in golf for the Vikings. He also performed managerial duties for the football team.

Palmer received his bachelor's degree in education in 1972 after student teaching in the Sequim school district. His first teaching job was at Silver Beach Elementary School in Bellingham and in the mid-1970s he moved to the tiny town of Cusick in eastern Washington.

There Palmer taught elementary school and coached high school girls basketball, incorporating what he had learned from Coach Randall. He also coached girls volleyball, using sister Jane as a mentor, and coached both girls and boys track.

Palmer, who taught for 38 years altogether, went on from Cusick to teach at University Place near Tacoma, where he was named the district's Teacher of the Year in 1981, and then 25 years (primarily fifth grade) at Columbia Elementary School in Bellingham. Class after class passed through Room 12 and left prepared for middle school. These students were affectionately known as the U.G.L.Y.s (Unusually Gifted Learned Youth).

It was during this time that Palmer went to Scotland as a chaperon for his daughter Carrie's soccer team, which was playing a few friendly matches. While there, he took a day to see the historic St. Andrews Golf Course. After walking the course, he enjoyed a beverage at the 19th hole.

Palmer's sister Nancy related, "Bill figured out who most likely was a caddie from the Old Course and offered to buy him a pint. Bill knew his golf history and enjoyed the conversation with the caddie, Dennis. Dennis asked him if he would like to play the course and Bill said yes, but he didn't have any gear with him. The bartender offered Bill the use of his clubs and shoes. So, Bill met up with Dennis the next day and became the fourth in a group of educators from Ireland. Bill stepped onto the first tee and drove the ball long, straight and true ... For the rest of his days, he could tell you every detail of the day his dream came more than true. The framed scorecard still hangs in his home."

In 1985, Palmer received his master's degree in education from WWU, following two years teaching college students at the school's Woodring College of Education. He taught in the same building where he had attended grade school.

During his years at Columbia, Palmer also was the public address announcer for home football and basketball contests involving Western. More often than not, he would bring one of his students to the game.

"Palmer was the best," said former WWU sports information director and current Viking Athletics Historian Paul Madison of Palmer's announcing. "Invariably a situation would come up that could never be scripted and Bill would say the perfect thing, either diffusing a tense situation or providing a little humor."

Palmer was a part of an outstanding game-day basketball crew that included John and Brenda Riseland, both high school counselors; George Gleason, a middle school physical education teacher and P.E. administrative coordinator; and Mike Kirk, a high school teacher and coach.

"I have seldom known a man with such a pleasant disposition," said John Riseland. "He always had a good word for each person. I shall miss him. He was a great compatriot to share the WWU scoring table with for so many years."

"He was such a caring, compassionate teacher, giving extra care to those kids who really needed it," recalled Brenda Riseland. "What a lovely man!"

In 2009, one of Palmer's fondest moments came when he served as master of ceremonies for a pre-tournament banquet at the Semiahmoo Resort when the Vikings played host to the NCAA Division II National Men's Golf Championships.

Honored at that event was Bill Wright, a former Western golfer who was recognized for winning the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship 50 years earlier, becoming the first African-American golfer to capture a national United States Golf Association title.

Palmer, who as a child had watched Wright play basketball at Western, remembered Wright as being "one of the most gracious gentlemen I've ever met."

In 1996, Bill and his father traveled to the NAIA Division II national championship football game at Savannah, Tenn., where Western fell to Sioux Falls in an attempt to win the school's first national team title.

After retiring from teaching in 2010, Palmer and Kaye, his wife of 45 years, spent a lot of time with family in Montana and made numerous trips to Boise, Id., to visit their daughter Carrie, son-in-law Justin Hall and their two grandchildren, Mia and Maxwell.

It's easy to forget, with all the wonderful attributes he possessed, that for most of his life Palmer dealt with severe hearing loss. To his credit, he never let it affect his positive attitude towards others.

Palmer had strong beliefs and ideas, which he would readily share, but in a way that kept communication open.

A quote by author Steve Goodier seems to capture a day in the life of Bill Palmer.

"What if today you gave yourself permission to be outrageously kind? What if you extended as much good will and kindness as you can possibly muster to every person you meet? And what if you did it with no thought of reward? I'm sure of one thing: it will be a day you will never regret."

A celebration of Palmer's life will be held on Friday, Oct. 6, at 3 p.m. at Northwood Hall, 3240 Northwest Ave.

Memorial tributes may be made to the Bellingham Childcare and Learning Center or a children's charity of your choice.

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." -- Dr. Seuss

Written by Paul Madison who served 48 years as sports information director at WWU from 1966 to 2015.