Joseph Vaughn Palmer

Joseph Vaughn Palmer died peacefully in the early morning of his 80th birthday on June 4, 2023. He was born at Connellsville Hospital in Connellsville, Pennsylvania to Bettie June Vaughn Palmer and Joseph Robert Palmer, both deceased. Joe graduated from Scottdale High School in 1961, where he played football and loved sharing glory stories about his high school football days. He joined the Army National Guard where he spent 6 years in the Army Reserves. He attended the Pennsylvania State Police Academy and graduated in 1972. He became a Pennsylvania State Trooper and was stationed in Waynesburg where he was proud to be a State Trooper for 25 years.

Joe married Kathleen Marie Blanc in 1967 and remained married for 25 years, until her death in 1993. He married Desetta Brunofsky Palmer in 1998 and they have been happily married for 25 years.

Joe had an interesting and accomplished life well lived. He was an excellent storyteller and loved sharing stories about his life and family. He was a first degree black belt in Golu-Ryu Karate and enjoyed scuba diving, snorkeling, bird hunting, riding motorcycles and shooting sporting clays. Joe, also nicknamed Vaughny, to family and friends, was an avid pool shooter and won several pool tournaments in his younger days. Joe loved to golf and was a member of the Greene County Country Club for many years. One of his favorite past times was fly fishing and he fished many famous streams throughout the United States and Canada. Joe loved English Setter dogs, raising and training several over the years.

He lived to travel and go on adventures by plane, ship, motorcycle and RV. One of his favorite places to visit was Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming where he visited many times over the years.

He is survived by his wife Desetta, his daughter Kimberly Dawn SanGregorio (Edward), his brother Richard Palmer (Terri), and nieces, Pamela Palmer, Tracy Biros (Andy), and Susan Blanc.

The family would like to thank Amedysis Home Health Care for taking such loving care of him over the past two years, and Amedysis Hospice for taking care of him in his final days.

Visitation will be held at Behm Funeral Home 182 W. High St. Waynesburg, PA 15370 on Thursday, June 8 from 5 PM to 8 PM, on Friday, June 9 from 2 PM to 4 PM and from 6 PM to 8 PM, and on Saturday, June 10 from 9:30 AM until 10 AM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Ann Catholic Church, 232 E. High St., Waynesburg, PA 15370 on Saturday, June 10 at 11 AM. Burial to follow at Oakmont Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to The Humane Society of Greene County.