Walter “Wally” Warren Palmer

Chugiak resident Walter “Wally” Warren Palmer, 84, died Feb. 8, 2013, at his home in Chugiak from Alzheimer’s disease and liver cancer.

A celebration of life is at 3 p.m., Feb. 23 at the Birchwood Saloon in Birchwood.

Walt was born Oct. 5, 1928, in Kansas City, Mo., to Peter Palmer and Ethel C. Rilea.

He came to Anchorage in 1968. He worked as a truck driver for Sealand for 22 years. He retired from Sealand in 1989.

Walt was an avid motorcycle rider for more than 65 years, he was 82 years old when he last rode his 1989 Harley-Davidson. Riding was his biggest enjoyment in life. He has numerous riding friends both young and old.

Walt’s largest accomplishment in life was when he ran and finished the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race in 1975. His bib number was 22 and it took him 22 days to complete the race. Everyone said that he most likely could have finished the race sooner but he always spent a little more time at the checkpoints in the villages communicating with the residents there.

Surviving are his wife, Dolores Jean Palmer; daughter and son-in-law, Jean Marie and Tom DiDominic of Philadelphia, Penn.; son and daughter-in-law, William and Carol Palmer of Zeeland, Mich.; son, Peter Palmer of Chugiak; grandsons, William G. and Jeremy M. Palmer of Zeeland, Mich.; and great-granddaughter, Alyssa S. Palmer.

Preceding her in death were his younger brothers, Robert and Raymond Palmer; and his father and mother.

Cremation Society of Alaska took care of the arrangements. A guestbook is online at alaskacremation.com.