John Joseph Palmer

John Palmer passed on February 13, 2018. He died peacefully following a brief illness. In his last days, he was with his son, Doug Palmer; grandson, Michael Palmer, nephew, Bruce St. John; his friends, Monica and Ron Hopfner; and the caring staff and volunteers of Menno Home in Abbotsford. My dad was a thoughtful, loving father, devoted husband, and a good friend. He displayed kindness, caring, and humor throughout his life. We miss him so much; however, we also know he is now with his beloved wife of 69 years, Eva, in heaven.

He was a quiet, unassuming man who lived an extraordinary life. He was born in St. John, New Brunswick and upon graduation from high school in 1939, he joined the Canadian Army and was sent to Great Britain as part of the war effort. He fought in many of the WWII campaigns, including the D-Day landing and due to his leadership skills was promoted to Sargent. While he was overseas, his wife died and he returned home following the war to meet his son, John, for the first time. Shortly after returning from Europe and living in Montreal, his mother introduced him to Eva St. John. They were married two years later and had one child, Doug. At the age of 43, John moved his family from Montreal to Los Angeles, California. Although my parents would miss extended family and friends; and John would leave a leadership position at General Electric, they decided to take a risk and explore new opportunities. My dad’s willingness to make this change was truly impressive. In California, he found a great job, my parents made wonderful friends and their social life was very active. They danced, played cards and travelled extensively. A few years after his retirement, John and Eva returned to Canada and lived in Abbotsford for over 30 years.

The central focus of John’s life was assisting and loving his wife, Eva. She was the love of his life and they were married for 69 years until her death in 2016. They were devoted life-partners and both shared a deep commitment to each other and their religious faith. Attending church regularly and offering nightly prayers; John and Eva’s Catholic faith was core to their lives. A commitment that John maintained at Menno Home until his death.

A Funeral Mass for John will take place on Friday, May 4, 2018 at 11:00 am, at St. Ann’s Roman Catholic Church, 33333 Mayfair Avenue, Abbotsford, BC. A reception in St. Ann’s Church Hall will follow the service.