Gene Worrell Palmer
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There may or may not be a stairway to heaven, but there may well be a chairlift to heaven, that Gene Worrell Palmer boarded peacefully on Sunday, July 24, 2022.
Gene was born to Dell and Jerry Palmer in Rexburg, Idaho 26 April, 1930. His only sibling, his beloved sister Marcile (Blunck) some ten years later. He grew up in the Moody area where he would develop a love for farming, harnessing horses while standing on a stool, and working the ground with a team of horses.
The family relocated to his treasured Mill Hollow, east of Rexburg, where he and his father (usually accompanied by Marcile) farmed until later developing the land.
He soon discovered another great passion in his life: skiing. Gene won the Bear Gulch Spectator Race several years in a row. He attended and graduated from Madison High School, where he lettered in Track and sang, receiving a Music award.
Gene attended Ricks College, where one evening he was invited on a blind date where he met the true love of his life, Clarann Dalley. He began attending Utah State University (where he was pronounced Snow King) but drove home nearly every weekend to see her. Their song was "Laura" by Nat King Cole, and Gene would sing it to her and replace Laura with Clara. They were sealed in the Idaho Falls Temple in January of 1955.
Gene enlisted in the Army Reserve in February of 1954 and was honorably discharged in July, 1955. He enlisted in the Army in October of 1955 and was assigned to active duty in France, where Clarann and their first young son Greg joined him six months after his deployment. He was honorably discharged as a sergeant in August of 1957.
After Military Service he taught Jr High in Menan, Idaho, then Math at Sugar-Salem High School. Their son Gary D was born in October, 1958 during Spud Harvest. In 1963 the family moved to Boulder, Colorado where Gene received his master's degree in Chemistry from the University of Colorado. He taught Chemistry and Physics at Madison High School for six years, and was the ski club advisor.
Eventually he left teaching to farm. He began teaching skiing at Kelly Canyon in 1958 and ran the Grand Targhee Ski School for 25 years, beginning in 1969. He taught skiing for 70 years. His last run was with his son Gary, at the age of 89, fully intending to return for many years. He was inducted into the Professional Ski Instructors Hall of Fame in 2011 and his picture hangs in the Olympic Park in Park City, Utah. Gene received many ski awards over the years, and Palmer Raceway at Targhee was named for him after he retired. Gene said his motto was "You are only young once, but you can be immature your whole life."
Gene and Clarann moved 13 times before they owned their first home, which they built, in 1965, where they lived happily for 37 years. They loved and appreciated their neighbors and ward members, as they did their neighbors and ward members after moving to their townhome on Marianne Drive, where they lived for the next 18 years.
In 1976 the Teton Dam broke and the flooding ruined much of their farmland. Subsequently Gene developed the Millhollow Meadows Mobile Home Park, and later the nearby Ricks-Palmer Housing Development and the Hidden Valley Subdivision.
As an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Gene served in a variety of callings, including high priest group leader, on the stake high council, and his favorite, as gospel doctrine teacher. Beginning in 1999 he and Clarann served a CES mission in the Washington DC South Mission - assigned to provide Institute support in Centreville, Virginia.
They loved traveling (including to Russia, trips to Mexico with Greg, and any time a ski trip to Europe could be slipped in. He loved getting together often with family and friends where he was the life of the party. He loved to laugh and to tell a good story. He loved his get togethers with the Roll Call gang at McDonald's.
The family extends gratitude to the many loving and supportive neighbors and Church leaders and special gratitude to the caring staff at The Homestead in Rexburg, and Homestead Hospice Care.
He is survived by his beloved wife, Clarann; sons, Greg (Tamra Tenney) of Rexburg; Gary (Camille (Blackley) of Midway, Utah; sister Marcile (Don Blunck.) He dearly loves his six grandchildren and their spouses, his nine great-grandchildren, his in-laws, nieces and nephews.
A viewing for family and friends will be held at Flamm Funeral Home in Rexburg, Idaho on Thursday, July 28 from 5:30 to 7:00 pm. A viewing for family and friends will be held at the Rexburg Center Stake Chapel in Rexburg, Idaho on Friday, July 29 at 10:00 am. The funeral will follow at 11:00 am. Interment will be at the Burton Cemetery.
Condolences may be shared with the family at www.flammfh.com