Even after a year without you.
This poem still holds so true.
Me and the girls miss you so much.
Thank you for a wonderful life.
 the wife 


The moment that you died my heart was torn in two,
 one side filled with memories the other died with you.

I often lie awake at night,
when the world is fast asleep,
and take a walk down memory lane, with tears upon my cheeks.

Remembering you is easy I do it every day,
but missing you is a heartache that NEVER GOES AWAY.

I hold you TIGHTLY WITH IN MY HEART and there you will remain,
for life has gone on with out you,
BUT WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.

(unknown)

Carlos estaras en mi mente y mi corazon por el resto de mi vida.i love you.

Laura, 
Steve and I want you to know that we have you in our thoughts and prayers. As always, please let us know if we can do anything to help you. You are not just a neighbor, but a friend. 
Love, Steve and Melissa

My big brother, Oh how you will be missed. I have your messages saved on my voicemail & have played them back quite a bit, and am so thankful that I have them. You have left us too soon but I am peace that you have been reunited with mom & are in a beautiful place. Rest in peace Big Brother until we meet again. I love & miss you,
Your little sis

To my Best friend and Brother, I will miss you until we meet again on the Crest of the Moon.

We remember Carlos Palma with immense respect and admiration as a friend and work colleague. Carlos left an indelible stamp on his many colleagues in Hulamin South Africa who remember Carlos for his great sense of humor, warmth and friendly disposition. Carlos left us too soon and we will always remember our great friend and colleague. Rest in peace and we his wife, family and many good friends well in this time of great sorrow.

With love and friendship
Darryl Weisz on behalf all of Carlos's Hulamin SA colleagues

Laura,
Kathy and I wish we could be there to walk with you at this time. You are in our thoughts and prayers. May Carlos rest in peace and rise in glory!

Kansas Induction
As he would put it, he moved to Kansas kicking and screaming in the late 1990's.  He knew some about the area because he had to travel to the Hutchinson Alcoa plant periodically.  He always said he was way too familiar with the Wichita airport.  But I guess it took a local gal to show him Kansas was not all that bad!  He had received a book from a friend called Off the Beaten Path which listed local area attractions and places on interests.  Using this book as a guide, he learned about the area.  Something he loved to do no matter where he was.

Unfortunately for the Kansas gal, a sales job opened up back in Irvine and he jumped at the opportunity.  So back to CA he went.  The Kansas gal soon followed and started teaching in CA!

But in the back of his mind, the Kansas life always lingered.  So in the fall of 2007 we found ourselves back in Hutchinson, KS again.  This is where the true induction happened.

It was December 2007 and the area was hit with one of its all too familiar snow and ice storms.  And as usual, the power is knocked out.  For us, it was 5 days in the cold and dark.  The only heat source was a small gas fireplace in the basement.  Our showers were at the local gym and lunches at Carls' Bar for hot sandwiches.  Luckily we did not have the dog then, and the cat was content on sitting next to the fireplace.  This is where the story is true Carlos.  We spent the evenings (long ones due to early sunsets) listening to hours of Dave Ramsey talking about Money Makeovers on a small radio!

Even after life moved us back to California, he always kept tabs on the Kansas weather and now fondly remembers those days in the cold and dark!

When he talked about Kansas to others, he always intwined this story into the conversation along with the respect he gained for the hard working people of the midwest. Kansas always had a place in his heart!!



Thank you for moving there and finding me!  Laura

... and then there were the llamas
There were a good many occasions where Carlos was the brunt of so very many practical jokes... both at and away from work.  Glen reminded me of one this afternoon.  We were always teasing Carlos about how fond he must be of the llama; the national beast of burden for Argentina.  Either Glen or I managed to find a calendar featuring llamas one year and presented it to him at our departmental gift exchange as the equivalent of a Playboy Playmate calendar.

NOBODY could blush, look you straight in the eye, and imperceptively shaking his head as if to say; "Okay, you got me this once - but what comes around goes around..." without uttering one single word...  not like Carlos!

rwa

Through thin and flush
It must have been between 1990-1991.  The 747 build rate dropped from 5-4 or maybe even 3.5 monthly and Carlos was laid off from Northrop.  He and I would have breakfast about every other week; usually at Mimi's in Lakewood.  We'd catch one andother up on the latest in job search strategies; who had got on at this or that location after getting laid off at the same time, etc.  After about six or so of our breakfast sessions, Carlos was just about to throw in the towel and sign on with an outfit near the huge rail yard in San Pedro where he would probably spend the rest of his days ordering this or that repair materials for rail cars of this or that configuration.  He said he preferred continuing to work in aerospace but there was just nothing happening.

All of a sudden it hit me.  I told him that Alcoa had recently opened an Aerospace Center in Irvine and that I knew of a guy by the name of Dell who was running it.  I had met him for the first time on a trip to Davenport where I made a presentation about how we were going to stop using our antiquated system for ordering the very expensive 747 aluminum skins, and how I had developed a spreadsheet for tracking demand and replenishment for a new family of smaller sizes of material; material he had been my back-up for, prior to his layoff at Northrop.

I've never told this story before, but I stole a page of Northrop Company Letterhead from the boss' secretary and took it home to write a letter to Dell Skluzak.  I never kept a copy of it, but I can remember the letter like I wrote it just yesterday.

"Dear Mr. Skluzak; the purpose of this letter is to introduce you to one Mr. Carlos Palma.  Through no fault of his own, he was recently laid off from Northrop and has experience in inventory management with every commodity in the 747 program, as well as being my solitary back-up for the 747 skins program that we have completely re-vamped in recent months.  If you have the need for experienced help from someone who can do it all, you could certainly benefit from taking him on at Alcoa.  I recommend him without reservation of any kind.  VTY, etc rwa."

Dell hired him on, and in less than six months, the build rate dropped again and I was given a layoff notice of my own.  Over the 60-day WARN period, Carlos and I resumed our regular breakfast sessions for mutual support.  No openings at Alcoa during this time, so I managed to find a new position at Northrop working for my former internal customer at K-8 Skins Facility at Torrance Northrop.  When an Alcoa opportunity came up, I was happy at K-8 and told Carlos as much.  Then a year later, build rates dropped again, and I was laid off - but nothing at Alcoa.  So my boss' boss at Northrop Alameda brought me to a newer job with more responsibility and all was well.

... until the rates dropped again and I was laid off.  Nothing was available at Alcoa, so I jumped to the military side of the business in Training and Development.  Until the spring of 1995 when Carlos called to tell me that Dell and Tom (Kaminski) wanted to have lunch with me at the harbor in Newport Beach... turned out that there was a position in Hutchinson, Ks.

So, as it turned out, I was able to wrangle a spot into Alcoa for Carlos, and he was instrumental for keeping my name in front of a guy I'll never be able to thank enough for getting me to Kansas; Delbert Alvin Leeroy Skluzak.

Yet it was Carlos that was always there for me, and I for him when it came to the need for moral support when Aerospace went topsy-turvy in the early 90's.  After Alcoa sold our part of the business in 2007, and between harder and harder to find consulting gigs, Carlos continued to call from California to offer words of encouragement and tried his hardest to place me with a business in which a life-long friend was engaged in around the Temecula vicinity.  When he had nothing else to offer, he called with badly needed encouragement which made it easier to keep slugging away at one search after another.

God, I miss him so.   This election cycle isn't going to be near as much fun with half of my Democrat friends out of the game.

rwa

Watching Carlos Grow Up
We first met Carlos when he was just a little boy. We watched him grow up to be a very good man. At around the age of twenty something I hired him at Northrop Aircraft in Hawthorne, CA as an inventory control analyst. He did extremely well. He continued his education while progressing in his career. He was very well liked, very respected, and a fast learner. The next thing we know he was hired by Alcoa and came to Arlington , TX as a sales representative to Vought Aircraft. We were so proud of him and the man he had become.

We had multiple visits from him when he was in town to do business and we barbecued together and discussed his life and family over dinner.

Rest in peace and know that you were loved and will be missed.


Nicolas and Joyce Mintzas

Carlos was the best!
Years ago, Carlos and I worked together.

In fact we had desks right next to each other. So I often overheard his conversations with our co-workers.

A lot of guys at work spoke Mexican Spanish,  often a simple dialect , with a strong accent.

Carlos spoke proper Castilian Spanish and did not have an accent.  A few times the guys poked fun of his accent. Still, they knew he spoke the Spanish of someone with education and did not use slang.

So one day, he is on the phone, speaking  English.    One of the guys came in, to ask a question about a rush job we had.

"Just a moment" he tells the person on the other side of the line.   Then he turns to the warehouseman, and replies in perfect Spanish, rata-tat-tat.   The fastest Spanish, I've ever heard!   The worker aknowledges, and leaves.   Back to the phone, speaking English again.  Never missed a beat !

I was so amazed... that later I asked "how do you do that?"  He said, he didn't know.  It just switched back and forth as needed.   So I asked, do you think in Spanish, or English?

His reply, with a wry smile "it depends on what I'm thinking about!".

Now, the years have past, and I regret not staying in touch.

Vaya con Dios, my friend.  I will never forget you.

Words can't express how deeply sorry I am for your loss. I only hope you keep the memories of Carlos close to your heart and cherish the short time you had together. I know I will truly miss Carlos as he always greeted me w/ a smile, a firm handshake and delightful conversation whenever we would meet. My heart aches w/ you. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

Laura,
Sending you my heartfelt sympathy on the loss of your husband. My heart aches for you as I know the pain you must be feeling. I have no words that will change the deep hurt you are experiencing, however my prayers are for comfort and healing in the coming days, weeks, and months ahead. 
Condolences from the bottom of my heart,
Christy (Pete) Shaheen

The first time I met Carlos
If I recall correctly, it was about mid-1988 when Glen Gunderson at Northrop called me into his office to meet a lad I had heard might be coming over to the DOC Bldg from D-4 Warehouse to be a part of our team.  Little did I know that the guy I was shaking hands with would essentially become a little brother to Glen and I.  Lunches at Jalisco and El Pollo Loco and endless sessions of bagging on one-another; MAN, those were great days.

One day he had his wallet out while ordering lunch and I noticed that his drivers license showed a middle initial of "A" and I casually asked what his middle name was; just out of simple curiosity.  He gave that grin that was uniquely "Carlos" and said that he'd prefer not to answer.

Wrong thing to say to either Glen or me, for sure.  I told him that if he refused to disclose such a smiple detail, then we would just have to assign a middle name to him.  Henceforth he became "Carlos ALVIN Palma..."  In time, everyone in our circle lf acquaintances at Northrop took on the same middle name when being hailed in the halls or upon answering a phone; Harry Alvin Lujan, Glen Alvin, etc.  When Carlos and I transitioned to Alcoa, it only got worse; Rayphonse Alvin, Dale Alvin, David Alvin, Ronald Alvin, etc.  When Carlos came to Hutchinson, it was only natural to give him a new hyphenated middle name to celebrate his new mid-western roots; Carlos Alvin-Leeroy Palma, and we all took it on; Robert Alvin-Leeroy, Brian Alvin-Leeroy.  I just got off the phone with Dave Henderson the other day and was quickly transported to a rush of feelings; great ones.

This is just one of several stories I'll post in the daze to come.  It just doesn't seem possible.

rwa

Laura...my deepest condolence...Carlos was more than a colleague...he was good friend and a great man. I will truly miss him...my thoughts and prayers are with you.

Bob

(The following is an excerpt from an Anniversary card he had saved from me)

When I met you, I had no idea how much my life was about to be changed...
but then, how could I have know?
A love like ours happens once in a lifetime.
You were a miracle to me, the one who was everything I had ever dreamed of, the one I thought existed only in my imagination.
And when you came into my life, I realized that what I had always thought was happiness couldn't compare to the joy loving you brought me.
You were a part of everything I thought, and did and felt, and with you by my side, I believed that anything was possible.
Thank you for the miracle of you....
you are,
and always will be 
the love of my life.
Laura

This is an excerpt from a book written by Kahlil Gibran, that was given to me after Jason passed. "And the priest and the priestesses said unto him: Let not the waves of the sea separate us now, and the years you have spent in our midst become a memory. You have walked among us a spirit, and your shadow has been a light upon our faces. Much have we loved you. But speechless was our love, and with veils has it been veiled. Yet now it cries aloud unto you, and would stand revealed before you. And ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation." Thank you Carlos for being a part of Laura's light and happiness. You are greatly missed!

Carlos, Thank you for being a part of our family and taking care of Laura for the time that you got to spend together with her. You are truly loved and will be greatly missed.

With Love,

Lauren, Ben & Michael

We are so very sorry to hear of the passing of Carlos Jr.

 During the recent trip of Carlos Sr. to Argentina, I witnessed Carlos Jr. and his wife working next door to care for his Dad's yard while Carlos was on vacation. I was lucky enough to speak to both of them removing overgrown bushes in the front yard. I could tell they loved working for Dad while he was in South America.
 Rest in Peace Carlos Jr.
 You will be missed by all that knew you.
 John & Debbie Linder, Santa Maria, CA

You have been taken away from me way too early. We had so much else we wanted to do. I so cherish the memories I have of the things we did do together. I have such an empty place in my heart now. Missing you muchly!
the wife

In memory and celebration of your life. You are greatly missed.

My Friend Carlos, the journey in life has taken you to early in life. The memories of our friendship starting in Santa Maria and then on to Hawthorne California will never leave me. Starting our Careers at Northrop in the mid 80's have made us the professional and accomplished men we have become. Rest in Peace we will miss you!

OBITUARY

Carlos Alejandro Palma

November 22, 1963 – January 26, 2016

Miller Jones Mortuary and Crematory

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