Richard Bradbury Palmer

Richard Bradbury Palmer, a resident of Twin Lakes Community and former resident of Chapel Hill NC, passed away on March 17 at Hospice and Palliative Care Center of Alamance/Caswell in Burlington.

Dick, as he was known by family, friends and co-workers, was born January 17, 1922 in Zurich, Switzerland to Anne Marie Bauer Palmer, and Phillip Mason Palmer, a Lehigh professor and Dean on sabbatical in Europe with his family. Dick grew up on the campus of Lehigh University and attended primary and secondary school there in Bethlehem, PA. He was one of 6 brothers: Phillip, Parker, Carl, Bob and John. He graduated from Lehigh University in 1943, served in the military on active duty from 1943 to 1946, and received a doctoral degree in geology from Johns Hopkins University in 1949. He retired as a Major in the United States Army Reserves in 1953.

On September 3, 1943 he was married to Ruth Barnard Darlington of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania who predeceased him in 2016. They were married for 73 years. In 1949 he embarked on a successful career with Texaco, Inc. starting as a field geologist. In 1982 he retired as a company executive, moving initially to Chapel Hill, North Carolina and subsequently to Twin Lakes Community in Burlington.

Together Dick and Ruth raised three children; one daughter, Linda Anne Palmer Greenwald (Joel) of Harriman, New York, who predeceased them, and two sons, Richard Irish Palmer (Jen) of Gibsonville, North Carolina and Steven Chase Palmer of Chillicothe, Missouri. They have 4 grandchildren: Jared Greenwald, Greg Greenwald, Laura Greenwald Gonzalez and Caroline Chase Palmer Baity; and 9 great grandchildren: Jenna, Tyler, Trevor and Ember Greenwald, Skyler and Sage Goldstein, Sara and Lily Gonzalez, and Thomas Baity. Dick is also survived by one brother, John T. Palmer of Shreveport, Louisiana.

In retirement Dick taught at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business as an Executive in Residence and volunteered with the Service Corps of Retired Executives. He was a member of Theta Delta Chi, Sigma Xi, Kiwanis, the Geological Society of America and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. He was an active member of the Twin Lakes Community, at one time serving on its Board of Directors as well as once being President of the Board of the Auxiliary of Twin Lakes Community. He was an active member of a men’s conversation group and the community choir.

A memorial service and celebration of his life will be held at Twin Lakes Community at a date yet to be determined.

The family is thankful to family caregivers Denise Brown, Peggy Johnson, Doretha Corbett and Katrina Davis, Dr. Isami Sakai, the staff of Hospice and Palliative Care Center of Alamance/Caswell, and the staff of Twin Lakes Health Care Center.

Memorial donations should be made to the charity of one’s choice or Hospice and Palliative Care Center of Alamance-Caswell, 918 Chapel Hill Rd, Burlington, NC, 27215.