Paul A. Palmer

Palmer resident Paul A. Palmer, 77, died March 6, 2013, from liver failure as a result of damage related to hepatitis C.

Paul was born in Fort Morgan, Colo., on April 12, 1935, to Dorsey Leroy Palmer and Mable Alta Patton. Paul was raised in the Denver area. He met the mother of his first two children — Robert and Cynthia — in his early 20s. He drifted a lot, working in Colorado and the neighboring states until his late 20s.

In March 1964, he met his soul mate, Carrol Williams. They were married in June 1964 in Denver, and then traveled to Alaska in May 1965. He got a job at Bob’s Beetle Shop on Fireweed by saying he would work for anything just to get a start in the mechanic business. While working with Bob, he got involved in wheel to wheel racing with the purchase of his 1961 Super 90 Porsche.

Their daughter, Tonya, was born in Anchorage the next January. They remained in Anchorage until July 1967, and he became restless again. They returned to Denver, where he opened Paul’s Beetle Shop repairing Volkswagens and grew it to quite a business before wearing out within two years. Their son, Timothy, was born in January 1969. During that period of time, he continued racing and got involved in Volkswagen dune buggy racing.

They returned to Alaska in 1969, but it only lasted for seven months that time. The family returned to Denver and Paul opened another Volkswagen repair shop by the name of Flintstone Motors. Being burnt out the first time around he took in a partner, and that was a disaster. The business was closed and they moved to Las Vegas to try a warmer climate.

That, too, only lasted a year, and they returned to Alaska in June 1971. This time he had the older children living with them so the family was larger. He went to work at the Volkswagen dealership in Anchorage for a while and then opened his own business on Muldoon that was called The Bug House. He owned and operated that business from 1972 to 1978. They had moved to the Valley in 1976, and after he closed the shop in Anchorage he tried a shop at his place of residence on Hyer Road while doing building maintenance in the mid-1980s and later opening an auto repair shop on the Palmer-Wasilla Highway until 1995. He had a large customer base for auto repair during all his years of that profession. After leaving that shop he worked with his wife at CP Accounting until the time of his passing.

He actually stayed in the racing field, participating in the Fur Rondy races and ice classics in Willow and Big Lake for many years until the mid-’80s. That gave way to the boating schedule. They started boating in the mid-1970s, and in 1989 were charter members of the Mat-Su Flotilla of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. He boated out of Homer until 1986, and then moved his boat to Seward. He was a coxswain in the Coast Guard Auxiliary and offered their boat for search and rescue for 15 years before retiring. During that time he was heavily involved in water safety and training through boating safety classes for \ adults and children. He logged as many as 750 hours a year of volunteer time with the Coast Guard.

One of Paul’s friends said he taught many people a lot about living and furthering themselves in more ways than one. He tried to be very helpful and gave of himself unconditionally. He was known and loved by many and will be missed by just as many.

He is survived by his wife, Carrol; son Robert Palmer; daughter, Cynthia Hess; daughter, Tonya Hoffnagle; and son, Timothy Palmer. He is also survived by brother, Richard Palmer; mother-in-law, Sylvia Williams; sister-in-law, Sandra Fisher; brothers-in-law, Byron and Mark Williams; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. He lives on in his children and grandchildren, Heather Free, Sabra Thomas, JJ Briggs, Jeremiah Briggs, Cheyenne Palmer, Devin Hoffnagle, Dakota Palmer, Shelby Hoffnagle; and his great-grandchildren, Arianna Thomas and Leah, Erin and Anthony Free. His step-grandchildren, Dominique Gutierrez and K James Sumpter, were also special parts of his life.

He was preceded in death by his father, Dorsey Palmer; mother, Mable Long; longtime stepfather, Bob Long; brother, Donald Palmer; two beloved nephews, Todd Williams and Ronald Williams; and two beloved sisters-in-law, Jeri Palmer and Patti Williams.

Paul requested no services or celebration of life. He has been cremated and his remains will be kept to be mixed with Carrol’s when she passes. They will be spread jointly in Seward to remain together through eternity. For those who have asked, Paul was very worried about his grandson Devin being faced with the challenges of eosinophilic esophagitis. He is being treated at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital CCED Department. They get support and housing from the Ronald McDonald House while there. Any contribution to them in Paul’s name or to help fight that terrible and rare disease would be a great honor to him.

Arrangements are with Alaskan Heritage Memorial Chapel and Crematory of Wasilla.