PALMER WILLIAM R

CPT William R. Palmer was a potential VHPA member who died after his tour in Vietnam on 05/26/2020 at the age of 77.9
El Paso, TX
Flight Classes 68-514 and 68-24
Date of Birth 06/21/1942
Served in the U.S. Army
This information was provided by Sammie Williams - obit

More detail on this person: William Richard Palmer, Jr., age 77, of El Paso, Texas, formerly of Electra, Texas, passed away, Tuesday, May 26, 2020, in El Paso. Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, May 30, 2020, at Aulds Funeral Home of Electra. Interment will follow in Electra Memorial Park under the direction of Aulds Funeral Home of Electra. The family will receive friends from 5:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 29, 2020, at Aulds Funeral Home of Electra. Richard was born June 21, 1942 in Wichita Falls, Texas to the late William Richard Palmer, Sr. and Wilhelmina Elizabeth Beich Palmer. Richard was a 1960 graduate of Electra High School and a 1965 graduate of Midwestern State University. After graduation, he entered the United States Army as a commissioned officer. He was stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky where he met Elizabeth Petty who was an Army nurse. They were married on September 30, 1967 in Starkville, Mississippi. He moved to El Paso in 1976 where he called home. Later, after helicopter school, he spent one year combat tour in Vietnam flying helicopters. In 1990- 1991, Richard served a one year tour in Saudi Arabia in the Desert Shield, Desert Storm War as a reservist. After proudly serving his country for twenty-eight years, Richard retired in 2002 as a Lieutenant Colonel. Richard then began his forty year career in real estate as the Broker of Palmer Associates Realtor and retired in 2017. Richard and Elizabeth traveled and lived in multiple countries and visited all fifty states in the United States. Survivors include his wife, Elizabeth of El Paso, Texas; sister, Elaine Hibbitts of Wichita Falls; sister-in-law, Mary Z. Walker of Starkville, Mississippi; two brothers, Robert Palmer and wife, Dorothy of Iowa Park, and Larry G. Palmer and wife, Brenda of Bowie; nephews, Dr. Bruce Palmer and wife, Chandra of Wichita Falls, and Will Palmer and wife, Shannon of Columbia, Missouri; nieces, Kary Daas and husband, Chris of Garland, Texas and Sheila Bowden and husband, Tim of Midland, Texas.

Burial information: Electra Memorial Park

This information was last updated 06/01/2020

Please send additions or corrections to: HQ@vhpa.org VHPA Headquarters

Return to the Helicopter Pilot DAT name list

Return to VHPA web site

Date posted on this site: 10/13/2025