David Lee Palmer

PORTLAND – David Lee Palmer, 85, passed away at his home on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, with a family member present. He was born in Waterville on May 29, 1938, the son of Calvin and Laura Palmer of Waterville, where he graduated from high school in 1956. He graduated from the University of Maine in Orono with a degree in Chemical Engineering.

David began his working career in the mid-1960s at Keyes Fibre Company in Waterville, in its quality control department. In July 1979, he moved to Portland to work for Plasmine Corporation as its Vice President of Manufacturing, retiring in May 2003.

David’s lifelong curiosity about all kinds of things and his sense of adventure were satisfied by his pursuit of a variety of many hobbies and interests, such as drawing art, photography, home aquariums and house plants, snorkeling and scuba diving, hiking and camping, canoeing and kayaking, geocaching, and owning a speed boat and flying his own single engine prop plane.

He absolutely loved traveling with his sister, Shirley, to seashore destinations, which included many trips to Florida’s Gulf coast during the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s, which were later superseded by even more trips to the Hawaiian Islands during the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. He also had an extra special connection with and fondness for the family camps on East Pond in Oakland, which he was passionate about preserving for the family to enjoy for generations to come.

David was predeceased by his parents, Laura and Calvin Palmer; and his sister, Shirley Ann Palmer Johnson.

He is survived by his nephew, Andrew Johnson of Auburn, niece, Laurie Boulanger and husband Jeff of Fairfield, niece, Melanie Mayo and husband Stephen of Fairfield, and niece, Sherry Sierra of Leeds; great-niece, Krystal Blaisdell and husband Josh of Fairfield, great-nephew, Shawn Sierra of Fairfield, great-niece, Krysten Bailey and husband Ryan of Fairfield, great-niece, Lindsay Corbett and wife Courtney of Sydney, great-niece, Katye Mayo-Chipman and wife Katie of Canaan, great-niece, Brooke Lord and husband Pat of Hampden, great-nephew, Valentin (LT) Sierra and wife Sarah of Sydney, and Tatiana Litalien and husband Drew of Turner; and many great-great-nieces and nephews.

A funeral will be held at Lawry Brother’s Funeral Home, 107 Main St., Fairfield, ME 04937 on July 21 from 11 to 12 p.m., followed by a committal at Maplewood Cemetery in Fairfield.

In lieu of flowers, donations in David’s memory will gratefully be accepted by the East Pond Association. Mail to:

David Jackson,

Treasurer EPA

83 Loon Lane

Smithfield, ME 04978;

or online at https://www.eastpond.org/donate.