David William Palmer

Dave passed away June 19, 2018 at his home in Niwot, Colorado after a four-year battle with pancreatic cancer. He fought it with grace and determination. He was always looking forward to the next adventure out of the house, even when he wasn't feeling well. He lived life to the fullest and passed away peacefully with no regrets.Dave was born December 3, 1958 in Waynesville, North Carolina. He was loved and nurtured by his father, William Mead Palmer, his mother Doris (Thrift) Palmer (who passed away when he was young), and his new mom Diane (Kirk) Palmer. The family eventually settled in San Rafael, California. He was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his brother Karl Palmer, Karl's wife Gini, and his sister Barbara Thompson. He graduated from Terra Linda High School in 1977. In 1981, he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of California Berkeley. He always loved wearing his Cal gear, especially in recent years, to local Cal vs CU football games.Dave's first job was at the Almaden Research Center for IBM in San Jose, California. A few years later his secretary introduced him to a new engineer, Darcy (Hulseman) Palmer. He proposed at sunrise on the top of Mt. Haleakalā in Hawaii on Friday the 13th in November 1987 and they were married on July 23, 1988.In 1992 with their new baby, they moved to Niwot, CO. Dave had numerous high-tech jobs, but most recently worked as the Senior Engineering Test Manager at Oracle where he tested Host Bus Adapters (HBAs). Until the last month, he continued to enjoy his work at Oracle. His most recent advice was I've earned my living for many years tracking down firmware bugs. Don't trust self-driving cars.David left a legacy of love and compassion to his wife Darcy and their four children: Makayla, Nathan, Doug, and Rachael. He juggled his career life with his family life gracefully. Throughout their local school years, he was delighted to be at as many events as possible. Dave wasn't just a spectator; he was often actively involved with filming the football team, lugging props for Odyssey of the Mind, being a Cub Scout leader, and spending hours making slide shows for the swim teams.David was an active member of the Heart of Longmont United Methodist Church and previously at Longs Peak United Methodist Church. He often did outreach work: helping to build a school in Honduras and a house in Guatemala, repairing tornado damage in Kansas, cleaning up after the local flood, assisting with maintenance at a cancer center in New Mexico, and serving meals to the homeless.He was a long-time ham radio operator, earning his license at age 12 and obtained the call sign N6KL. He loved radio, and he would experiment with it frequently. He was involved with the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and Boulder County Amateur Radio Emergency Services (BCARES). He used his radio communication skills to assist at bicycle races, CU football games, forest fires, and earthquakes. Dave had an incredibly sharp wit and incredibly dry sense of humor. He loved a good, honest laugh and was always ready to share one with us. Even when his situation got tough, he continued to provide humorous narratives and insights on the world, always making those around him laugh and smile.A Celebration Service will be held at Heart of Longmont United Methodist Church on July 21, 2018 at 10:30 AM. The address is 350 11th Ave, Longmont, CO 80501. A light reception will follow. Dave was not big on ties or suit coats, so please feel free to dress comfortably. Share condolences at www.ahlbergfuneralchapel.com.In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to one of the following: ¢ The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research: lustgarten.org or Lustgarten Foundation, 415 Crossways Park Drive, Suite D, Woodbury, NY 11797.¢ United Methodist Committee on Relief for Emergency Disaster and Development Aid: umcor.org or UMCOR, Advance GCFA, PO Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068.