Edward J. (Jerry) Palmer

Palmer, Edward J. (“Jerry”), of Chesterfield, Missouri, passed away at home in the presence of his family on October 25, 2022. Born in 1932 in Kewanee, Illinois, he was the devoted husband for 66 years of Sue Ann Palmer (d. 2020); the father of Lucy Green, Fairfax, Virginia, Tim Palmer, Gulf Stream, Florida, Holly Rhodes (d. 2012) and Lisa Rush, Spokane, Washington; and the beloved grandfather of twelve and great grandfather of nine. Jerry was a commanding presence, and a thoughtful and wise man with a keen practical mind. Extraordinarily gifted as a builder, craftsman, and carpenter, he was a perfectionist with a fine eye for detail and a resourceful problem-solver. He demanded unwavering precision and excellence of himself and others. We will miss his powerful life-force, his stories, and the warmth and humor and readiness to celebrate that he exuded. An Iowa State graduate, Jerry had a long commitment to agriculture and animal production. After founding and operating a Colorado livestock brokerage firm, he began a successful career with Ralston Purina Company beginning in 1960, serving in diverse senior marketing and sales roles in locations including Denver, St. Louis, and Des Moines. Purina was a foundational pillar of Jerry’s life and an institution that held his loyalty throughout his life. While at Purina, Jerry formed foundational friendships that carried through in recent years to regular lunches with Purina alumni and extended getaways to sunny climes with other retired Purina executives. Jerry also built over the years a substantial and successful Illinois farm, located near his birthplace of Kewanee. A second pillar of Jerry’s life was his instinctive and profound faith in God and humanity, which fed his unstinting optimism and extraordinarily outgoing and engaging personality. He was welcoming to all, invariably playful and humorous, and always ready to celebrate life with any comer. His family would say that for Jerry, there were no strangers, only friends he hadn’t yet met. An inveterate storyteller, he had a keen memory and recall of detail. Jerry’s extended family, and his friendships, comprised his final pillar. He invested a great deal of his extraordinary energy in his family, traveling with Sue around the world to see family, including destinations like Pakistan, Egypt, Singapore, and Australia. Stateside, he went on regular month-long tours to the East Coast for carefully planned personal check-ins with his grandchildren and well-timed visits to revel in the New England fall colors. Jerry was a seasoned fisherman and traveled extensively with family and friends to fishing destinations around North America. His devoted friends have sustained him in his later years, and he lived for their companionship and the many comforts they gave to him. Services: A memorial service will be held November 4, 2022, at 11 a.m. at Bonhomme Presbyterian Church, 14820 Conway Road, Chesterfield, MO 63017. The family will greet those in attendance at a reception following the service. Arrangements by Bopp Chapel. Memorial gifts may be made to the Bonhomme Presbyterian Church Foundation at the above address or to the Kirkwood YMCA, 325 N. Taylor, Kirkwood, MO 63122.

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Edward J. (Jerry) Palmer

January 26, 1932 - October 25, 2022