Stephen C. Palmer

Stephen Childs Palmer was born on January 22, 1952, in St. Louis, Missouri.  Steve passed away on June 2, 2024, at the University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City, Kansas, at the age of 72, due to strokes, complications from Pancreatic Cancer.

Steve knew at a very young age that he wanted to be an Architect.  He earned his Bachelor of Environmental Design in 1974 and his Bachelor of Architecture in 1975 from the University of Kansas.  Steve was affiliated with the KU Alumni Association and the AIA.  Having been raised in Missouri, he transitioned with gusto to becoming a KU Jayhawk.  He enjoyed sharing jokes with his Mizzou family such as "What do tornados and MU cheerleaders have in common?  They both end up in trailer parks!"

Steve had a 35-year career as a practicing Architect, serving as Principal in two different firms and for a few years serving as President of a fire sprinkler company.  Examples of Steve’s creative and functional architectural design were in the recreational niche and included golf course clubhouses, historic buildings at Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead and many Kansas community aquatic parks.

Steve's interests were varied and reflected his zest for life.  He enjoyed golfing, painting, cooking and wine, cultivating tropical plants, cheering on the KC Chiefs, traveling, scuba diving and joking with friends and family.  His real passion was KU Basketball, having had season tickets for over 45 years and having been invited to travel with the KU team to Baylor for a game there several years ago.  His other passion  was golf, belonging many years at Alvamar in Lawrence and more recently at Canyon Farms in Lenexa.  He provided enjoyment for his golfing buddies by developing the PGA (Palmer Golf Association) rules for their many golf trips.  He was affectionately known as the Golf Czar, Chief Rules Interpreter and his focus was always to have fun.

Steve was preceded in death by his father, Clarence C Palmer, his mother, Sammie Montgomery Palmer, and his grandparents.  He is survived by his wife of 15 years, Janelle Henderson, his sister, Susan Mihalevich (John), and his nephews Jay Mihalevich, Mark Mihalevich (Helen), and Matt Mihalevich (Katie) and their children.

Services for Steve will be held at Amos Family Funeral Home, located at 10901 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, KS 66203. Visitation will commence at 10:00 am on Saturday, June 22, 2024, followed by a Memorial Service at 11:00 am. For those unable to attend Steve's service in person, please click here to view the livestream. A luncheon will be served after the Memorial Service at the funeral home to honor Steve's memory. If desired, the family suggests contributions in Steve’s memory to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, the Clarence (Pete) Palmer Memorial Scholarship at Missouri S&T  or to a charity of your choice.

Steve will be deeply missed by all who knew him. He brought humor and joy to his friends and family every day of his life.