IN MEMORIAM
Frederick L. Palmer, 74;
Steeple Jack, Silo Builder
MORRIS – Frederick L. Palmer, 74, a steeple jack and master silo builder whose clients included playwright Arthur Miller, passed away Friday, May 20, 2016, following a brief illness.
Fred was born Jan. 3, 1942, to LeRoy and Laura (Eldred) Palmer of Morris, and was brother to Audrey (Dr. Peter) Gregory, Sharon (Charles Esq.) Bosco and James (Gina) Palmer.
Fred graduated from Morris Central School in 1960 where he was a class officer and was active in football, baseball, basketball, and dance club (landing himself a spot on American Band Stand in 1959). Following graduation, Fred served in the Navy as a corpsman until 1965.
Upon completion of his service, Fred returned to Morris to follow in his father’s footsteps building wood silos. Fred ran his own business as an independent contractor for Unadilla Silo Co., building silos throughout the northeast. A few of Fred’s most notable projects included the weather observation tower on Whiteface Mountain in Lake Placid, a private art studio for playwright Arthur Miller and his family’s “Silohouse” home in Morris.
In addition to building silos, Fred was a steeple jack, restoring and repairing over 30 church steeples in the region, while also working on numerous other barns and structures and installed lightning protection systems. Following one of his falls he joked; “It is not the fall that gets you, it is the landing!”
When he wasn’t scaling a roof he could be found tinkering, reciting history, talking politics, or carrying his own syrup to a pancake breakfast. Later in life Fred spent many a day driving the back roads reminiscing about days gone by, searching for sap houses, a fishing hole or the site of an obscure historical event, which always ended in a story to tell.
Fred married Marguerite Ruocco in 1969 and had five children: Brayton (Lori) Palmer of Media, Pa., Elissa (Glenn) Steinke of Exton Pa., Matthew Palmer of Morris, Briggin (Heidi) Palmer of Littleton, Colo., and Lydia Palmer of Morris. Fred loved to tell stories, phrases and proverbs to his children, and has continued that tradition with grandchildren Noah, Jake and Julian Steinke, Jonah Baldo and Benjamin and Hailey Palmer. In addition to his immediate family, Fred is survived by close nieces and nephews Stacia, James, Mark, Pablo, Soraya, Orion and was predeceased by John.
Fred is also survived by longtime companion Betty Cornish of Milford, as well as numerous Palmer and Eldred relatives and many close friends who have been with him through thick and thin.
Friends are invited to celebrate his life at 5 p.m. Thursday, May 26, at the Morris VFW. A Formal Funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Friday the 27th at Zion Episcopal Church, with The Revs. Robert Witt Jr. and J. Gary Norman presiding. Burial will immediately follow at Hillington Cemetery with military honors.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Zion Episcopal Church in Morris or the Morris American Legion in place of flowers. Arrangements are by Johnston’s Funeral Home of Morris NY and online condolences can made at www.johnstonfh.com
