- Date Of Birth: May 19, 1951
- Date Of Death: September 8, 2019
- State: Idaho
On Sunday, September 8, 2019, Stanley Leland Palmer, loving husband and father of five children and grandfather of 13 grandchildren, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 68.
Stan was born on May 19, 1951, in Brigham City, Utah, to Jenkin and Sarah Palmer. He was raised in Malad, Idaho, where he worked on the family ranch, often repairing and welding broken equipment. After marrying his high school sweetheart, Janice, Stan studied architecture at the University of Idaho. He graduated in 1974 and moved to Idaho Falls, where he worked as an architect for over 40 years. He was the first licensed architect hired at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and later became the chief architect. One of Stan’s favorite projects was a building at the INL, for which he won an award, which included an eight-foot-thick concrete wall to retain solar heat and save on energy costs. Among other projects in recent years, Stan did pro bono design work on houses for Habitat for Humanity. He also designed and built his current unique home, which his friends and children refer to as “Stanadu.”
Stan was a lifelong performer and lover of music. He had a singing voice that touched all those who heard it. Stan sang with the Idaho Bicentennial Choir during a tour of the East Coast in 1976, which included a performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
Stan also had a passion for cars, building his own cars or repairing those his kids damaged in accidents. He completed building a 1929 Model A before he passed, which he had been working on since he was 14 years old. Stan also loved his 1972 muscle car El Camino, which he bought new and kept in excellent shape since.
Stan loved his wife, kids, and grandchildren. He always did whatever he could to ensure they were comfortable and happy. He was selfless and generous with his time and money. Stan held great pride in his children and grandchildren and the people they had become. He loved kidding around and making everyone laugh, usually by displaying one of his idiosyncratic quirks. Stan was brilliant intellectually and creatively; his kids often referred to him as a modern-day Leonardo Da Vinci. Stan strived for perfection in his work and would not rest until his project was flawless. He was an authentic person, true to himself, which was reflected in his relationships and in his work.
In the months before Stan passed, he was able to celebrate his 50th wedding anniversary with Janice, take a trip with her to Cabo San Lucas, spend most of June 2019 with all his kids and grandkids, complete his Model A, and finish a renovation of his El Camino.
Stan is survived by his wife Janice; his five children, David (Stacie), Jeremy (Bridget), Scott, Heather (Trent) Colledge and Sarah (Jared) Cook; and 13 grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Tom and Ernest D and by his grandson, Trent Victor Colledge.
