Billy T. “Paleobum” Palmer, 67, of Huntingtown, MD passed away May 6, 2018 at his residence after a long battle with cancer. He was born June 7, 1950 in Cincinnati, Ohio to Harold and Bessie Palmer. Billy joined the Navy in 1970 as a Submariner and retired after 20 years. He was a Sonarman, Senior Chief, Division LPO, Trainer and Master Chief. He earned many Navy Accommodations and stood out among his peers. Billy earned Master Chief during his 14th year which was significant since it was so early in his career and was the earliest this was achieved in Naval History.
Paleontology was Billy’s passion and primary hobby. He had a unique personality and only those who took time to get to know him could understand him. He had a story tellers personality and indeed had many stories to tell of the days he collected in the field.
Billy lived in areas highly productive in fossils both in Florida and South Carolina. Once retired from the Navy, he discovered this hobby would take him to new heights.
Billy volunteered 14 years at The Charleston Museum, Natural Sciences Department as a field collecting supervisor in Charleston, SC.
Billy was a highly knowledgeable and respected paleontologist without the formal title. He had a unique talent in fossil discovery and fossil preparation. Any specimen he extracted from the ground and prepared ended up looking like it just died and came to life. Many times, he would take the specimen completely apart and join it back together learning and studying each piece gaining more insight for future work and identification of new species.
Billy was a discoverer and supervisor/excavation of the Giant Cement Quarry in Harleyville, SC Camelot site aiding Smithsonian staff in additional discovery of buried items containing, but not limited to Saber Cat, Dire Wolf, Turtles, Birds, Reptiles, Bobcat, Skunk, and Mammoth.
Billy was a dominant discover of Protocetid whales within quarries in Cross, South Carolina providing as much material of this whale as anywhere housed in the Charleston Museum collections. The wide array of Protocetid finds included two baby Protocetids.
He worked extensively with Dr. Al Sanders and was able to obtain collecting permits in South Dakota and Nebraska all with intention of expanding to the Charleston Museum collections.
Billy would solicit members to collect with him out West and was adamant about abiding by all rules applicable to any federal, private or state land.
Billy provided fossil presentations over the years and all were applauded such as those in Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, and Pennsylvania to name a few.
Billy contributed to the fossil crab collection in the Charleston Museum of which over 30 new species were of his discovery.
Billy is survived by his loving wife Deborah, son Billy Thomas Palmer, Jr. (Patty), daughter Tammy Lynn Gonzales (Rueben) and grandchildren David, Leila, Caroline and Kaleb
