Larry C. Palmer

Larry C. Palmer, 92, of Potomac, MD passed away peacefully on October 6, 2025 in Bethesda, MD. A beloved husband and father, he is survived by his wife, Diane, son Steve, daughter Valerie, and grandchildren Rémy and Annika.

Larry was born in Washington, D.C. to Mary Virginia Vanderau Palmer and Clive Warrenfeltz Palmer and grew up in Arlington, VA, a young boy during the blackouts, air raid drills and rationing of WWII. He attended Washington & Lee University, where he studied Physics, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he studied Electrical Engineering.

After college, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Signal Corps in Fort Monmouth, NJ. When he received orders to report for active duty in Germany in early 1956, he and Diane moved their wedding date, so she could travel with him. They lived in Germany for two years, where he served in the 15th Ordnance Battalion.

Returning to the States in 1957, he worked for Emerson Research Labs and ITT Intelcom, where he worked on the military communications satellite system. He attended evening classes for many years and in 1970, he received his PhD in Electrical Engineering at University of Maryland. His work moved to COMSAT Labs, where he worked on INTELSAT projects and managed programs for DARPA and NASA’s Glenn Research Center. In 1999, he retired as Chief Scientist at Hughes Network Systems after 35 years pioneering technical advances in satellite communication. After he retired, he taught at University of Maryland in College Park under their Masters of Telecommunications and Professional Masters of Engineering Program.

Always active, he was a varsity rower, an avid golfer, a part-time jogger and a dedicated dog walker. His love for cats and dogs led to a long list of pets over the years, each one treated like a member of the family. He was a quiet man, who loved to read the newspaper. He was an active member of National Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC for over two decades. He was kind and gentle and a man of few words, but the words he did speak said so much. He was a good man who will be missed by many.

You can contact the family at [email protected]