Obituary of Harry Edmore PALMER

Harry Edmore Palmer was born in Calgary on October 30, 1930 to John (Ned) and Ann Palmer.  In his inimitable fashion, Harry gave a thumbs up to reaching the ripe old age of 90 a few days before passing away on November 2, 2020 with his wife Joyce and their children at his side.  He loved life and worked and played hard all his life.  He was a family man who introduced his children and grandchildren to many of his passions including his love of skiing and hiking (and yes, yodeling) in the mountains; sports such as tennis, handball, squash; Tai-chi; Canadian history and photography.   He was a true friend to many and will be fondly remembered for his kind eyes, gentle nature and his unique brand of ‘dad’ humour.

Harry is survived by his beloved wife of 68 years Joyce, his loving children and grandchildren, Susan Palmer and her children Ted Stenson (Kathryn Donaldson), Kate Stenson (Andrew Giles), Terry Palmer, (Barry Rubin) and her children, Nicole Rutherford (Nick Chios), Blaine Rutherford, Greg Rutherford (Lauren), Bruce Palmer (Carla Smith) and his children, Sophie Palmer, Marshall Palmer, Jackson Palmer, Nancy Mannix (Juan Senor) and her children, RJ Mannix, William Mannix, Davis Mannix, Matt Palmer (Jennifer) and their children, Benjamin Palmer and Nicholas Palmer and soon to be 5 great grandchildren. 

Harry was a second generation Calgarian and very proud of his pioneer roots in the Andersen, Owens, Dodd and Palmer families who had made their homes in Calgary and Southern Alberta in the early 1900s.  He admired the kindness and generosity of Prairie people and he shared that same spirit with the many people he met and befriended in his travels across Canada and the world.  He had abiding curiosity in the ways in which people are connected to one another through family, history and place. 

Harry was a proud Canadian - a pride that shines through in his portraits of Canadians and photographs of the Canadian landscape. Looking at his photographs of the Western Canadian landscape, one can feel the sense of attachment the photographer had to the particular places he was documenting.  He also had a gift for capturing the humanity of people - whether they were important and iconic national figures, people of the North, or small town prairie folk standing in a doorway or chatting with one another at a street corner.   His deep respect for indigenous people is evident in the many portraits and photographs he took of the friends he made and at community events to which he had been invited as an honoured guest.  This respect was mutual and the Piikani Nation presented him with a headdress and gave him the name Mistaki Spita (Tall Mountain) at the Calgary Stampede July, 2008. It was an honour he deeply cherished.

Harry graduated from the University Of British Columbia in Applied Science (Mechanical Engineering) in 1951. Upon returning to Calgary he began a career in professional engineering that took him to worksites and other business locations across North America including Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, the Canadian Arctic Islands and all across Canada.  He worked for the YMCA, Canadian Western Natural Gas Company Limited, Pacific Petroleums Limited,  Dome Petroleum Limited, Palmer Gas Consultants Limited, Golden Arrow Manufacturing Limited (President), Alberta Gas Trunkline, TransCanada Pipeline (Polar Gas Project) and finished his Professional Engineering career at Dome Petroleum Limited in 1984 when he turned his energy towards his true life’s work - photography.

Harry’s career in photography spanned decades and formats.  He had a darkroom from the time he was a teenager and developed his own beautiful silver gelatin prints, colour photographs and never being one to stand still, was an early adopter of digital photography and artmaking.  His work can be found in numerous national and regional collections: National Gallery of Canada (Canadian Museum Of Contemporary Photography), the National Library and Archives Of Canada, the Bibliothéque Nationale de France, the University Of British Columbia, The Glenbow Museum and the Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park.  The Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography, affiliated to The National Gallery of Canada was opened in 1992 by The Right Honourable Ray Hnatyshyn and featured 125 Portraits: Companions of the Order of Canada.  The National Gallery also published this collection as a book and Harry has two other books to his credit: Calgary People and Places (1983), and Tall Pecs of Alberta and Saskatchewan - 2004.  His photographic artwork has been featured by Canada Post in stamps for the Alberta Centennial Stamp 1905- 2005, and the 50th Anniversary Stamp of the National Library of Canada - Canadian Authors, Anne Hébert.

The Palmer Family would like to thank Dr. Susan Lea-Mckenny, Tania, Cherlynn and the staff at Amica Britannia for their exceptional care.

Due to Covid 19 a private family gathering has taken place.

The family will plant a tree in memory of Harry Edmore Palmer at the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to a charity of your choice.