Lt. Col. Robert Edward Blake Palmer

Lt. Col. Robert Edward Blake Palmer, 82, USMC retired, of Phoenix, passed on peacefully to our Heavenly Father on January 19, 2008. He is preceded in passing by his parents and brother Richard. Inspired and loved by many, his passing is celebrated by family and friends on a life filled with fond memories and lifelong experiences. Blake, as he was known to most, was born on December 3, 1925 in Memphis, Tennessee to William and Lydalu Palmer. He moved to Greenbelt, Maryland in 1937, where he attended school. He enlisted in the Marine Corps on January 26, 1944, where he proudly served in three wars World War II, Korean War and Viet Nam, most proudly landing on Iwo Jima as a Scout Observer with the 4th Marine Division in 1945. He honorably participated in the Korean War with the 1st Tank Battalion of 1st Marine Division from May 1952-April 1953. He closed out his war campaign as a Major in operations in Viet Nam from March 1966 to September 1966, receiving the Bronze Star with the Combat V. After 26 proud years, and having never been wounded in combat, he retired to Phoenix, Arizona in 1972, where he worked for the City of Phoenix for 18 years before retiring a 2nd time in 1990. Blake is survived by his loving wife of 50 years, Cordelia, sons Robert Jr. and John, daughter Joanne Ryan O’Keefe, grandchildren Cody and Logan. He is also survived by his sister Fay Davis and brothers James, William Jr., and Edward Palmer, along with many nieces, nephews and cousins, and his faithful dog Cami. Viewing will be at Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home, 4800 E. Indian School Rd. in Phoenix on Sunday, January 27th, from 6:00 – 7:00 P.M. with Rosary at 7:00 P.M. Services will be held at Saint Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, 2312E. Campbell Ave. in Phoenix on Monday, January 28th at 10:30 A.M. In lieu of flowers, donations may be given to the Hospice of the Valley, The Sherman Home, @ www.hospiceofthevalley.org or the Marine Moms and Dads @ www.marineparents.com. He will be laid to rest with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia. SEMPER FI !!!

Offer Condolence for the family of Lt. Col. Robert Edward Blake Palmer

• How do I send a condolence?

  At the bottom of this page, you will find a condolence form. You will need to fill out some basic information prior to typing your message. (We will not share your e-mail address with anyone) Once you are finished, simply click the submit condolence button. The condolence will be approved before it is published to the web site.

  We also provide a Tell-A-Friend feature located directly below these instructions. this from allows you to send the obituary to a friend. This is particularly helpful to someone who may live out of town.

• Would you like to order flowers?

  If you would like to order flowers please see the selection available at Arizona Expressions. Click here to see all of the available floral arrangements.