{"id":8134,"date":"2026-04-26T19:11:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T00:11:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/doxaweb.com\/blog\/?p=8134"},"modified":"2026-04-26T19:17:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T00:17:23","slug":"happy-birthday-uncle-palmer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doxaweb.com\/blog\/2026\/04\/26\/happy-birthday-uncle-palmer\/","title":{"rendered":"happy birthday, Uncle Palmer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Today is the birthday of Uncle Palmer, my mom’s only brother. I recently came across the eulogy his oldest son delivered at his funeral in December of 2010. I learned many things about this remarkable man at his funeral… a man of many gifts, and a life generously lived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I’m Clayt Packard, the eldest of Palmer’s sons. Our dad, Clayton Palmer Packard, was born<\/em> on April 26, 1925, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He<\/em> was the son of Clayton and Catherine Packard. He<\/em> had one sibling, his adored sister, Mary. Dad\u2019s<\/em> parents were from South Dakota and Iowa, a very<\/em> strong and solid Midwestern foundation. But his<\/em> family heritage runs much deeper. It can be traced<\/em> to the first settlers of our country, to the Mayflower<\/em> and Plymouth Rock. John Alden, a founding<\/em> member of the Plymouth Colony, was Palmer\u2019s<\/em> grandfather several generations back. He was so<\/em> proud that our family was a member of the John<\/em> Alden Society, and had a direct link to this<\/em> important time in our country\u2019s history.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There is even more significance to Palmer\u2019s family<\/em> tree: Dad\u2019s grandfather, Preston Packard, was a<\/em> settler of the west as well. After fighting in the<\/em> Civil War as a drummer boy and soldier for the<\/em> Union Army, he migrated to South Dakota,<\/em> spending his very first days sleeping in a cave. But<\/em> through hard work, and perseverance, he built a<\/em> home and helped build the city of Redfield. He<\/em> became a respected businessman, hotel owner,<\/em> mayor, state legislator, and political peer to our 26th<\/em> President, Teddy Roosevelt.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eventually, Palmer\u2019s family found themselves in<\/em> Minneapolis, and that is where he grew up. His<\/em> father was a banker who financed commercial<\/em> equipment and was one of the founders of Culligan<\/em> Water in the state of Minnesota. Palmer loved all of<\/em> that, his life in Minneapolis, the lakes, streams,<\/em> neighborhoods, the wonderful outdoors that was<\/em> there to explore. He loved going to University of<\/em> Minnesota football games with his Dad, always<\/em> sitting on the 50 yard-line. The Gophers were good<\/em> then, and Dad said the games at the old stadium<\/em> were great, but the benches were icy, and the<\/em> weather usually pretty cold. The friends he made as<\/em> a boy became lifelong, and those relationships he<\/em> really cherished. Summers took him back to South<\/em> Dakota, helping his Uncle Frank with the family<\/em> farm, the Packard Hotel, and the services offered at<\/em> the hotel, like selling tickets to the Greyhound Bus.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Palmer attended Robert Fulton Grammar School,<\/em> and Southwest High School. He was an excellent<\/em> student. He loved after-school activities, especially<\/em> participating in Track & Field. He was accepted to<\/em> Amherst College and there he thrived. He majored<\/em> in Economics, and made a lot of good friends. He<\/em> was a member of the Chi Psi Fraternity, played<\/em> college basketball as a 6-foot center and graduated<\/em> in 1947.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upon returning to Minneapolis after college, he reconnected<\/em> with my mother, Dorothy Marguerite<\/em> Stenson. Mom also went Robert Fulton and<\/em> Southwest High, and their paths were destined to<\/em> cross. They fell in love and married in 1950. They<\/em> started their life living in a nice apartment next to<\/em> their beloved Lake Harriet, and then later moved to<\/em> Edina, Minnesota. Three sons quickly followed and<\/em> their love blossomed. Mom and Dad were married<\/em> for 60 years.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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My father\u2019s career in advertising started in<\/em> Minneapolis with Campbell Mithun. He was an<\/em> account executive traveling the west coast,<\/em> marketing key products. The creative teams he was<\/em> a part of launched the Hamm\u2019s Beer Black Bear, the<\/em> Pillsbury Dough Boy, and came up with the<\/em> Hamm\u2019s Beer jingle, \u201cLand of Sky Blue Waters.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Palmer was transferred to Hollywood in 1958, and<\/em> Mom and Dad bought a house in Studio City. In<\/em> 1963, Dad was offered a position with Campbell<\/em> Mithun in either Dallas or back to Minneapolis, but<\/em> he declined. Studio City had become home for all of<\/em> us. Palmer then embarked upon a series of new and<\/em> different careers which took him to some pretty<\/em> exciting places. He studied acting and worked. He<\/em> also became a writer and purchased the rights to<\/em> certain novels, including one written by David<\/em> Niven. Dad taught English for a time at Crespi High<\/em> School right here in the San Fernando Valley. He<\/em> was part of investment groups, apartments<\/em> primarily. He also decided he wanted to try his hand<\/em> at concert promotion. The Doors were one of the<\/em> bands he worked with, and I remember going to one<\/em> of their concerts as a family in San Diego at the<\/em> ageless Balboa Stadium. It was pretty amazing; this<\/em> was my dad\u2019s show. He eventually became a<\/em> partner of a production company called Project<\/em> Films, which excelled in producing TV<\/em> commercials.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But my dad\u2019s true gift was his character, integrity,<\/em> kindness, his interest in you, not himself, his ability<\/em> to give back, and his commitments to the<\/em> community. Palmer was a gentleman. Dad coached<\/em> Little League baseball and youth basketball. One of<\/em> his players became an NBA pro and college coach.<\/em> He was one of the founders and creative director of<\/em> the Studio City Park Players for 35 years. He was a<\/em> member and president of the Studio City Park<\/em> Advisory Board. Dad also developed the over-50<\/em> Tennis Program at the park and managed it for 10<\/em> years. He was a parishioner here at St. Francis for<\/em> 52 years and became a Eucharistic Minister. Dad<\/em> loved his community, whether it was here in Studio<\/em> City, or in Minneapolis, his hometown.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Thinking of things he loved is easy. He loved my<\/em> mother, my brothers and me, theater productions,<\/em> jazz music\u2014especially Louis Armstrong, tennis, the<\/em> Wizard of Oz, the genius of the circus clown and<\/em> the joy they brought to so many, but he especially<\/em> loved his three grandkids, Clay, Courtney and<\/em> Conner. He spent time with each one of them,<\/em> always patient and kind to them. He was proud of<\/em> them and their endeavors and always remembered<\/em> each one\u2019s current interest. He attended many of<\/em> their activities, even though we lived in<\/em> Washington, and he was always calling up to know<\/em> what they were up to and how things were going.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long before Harry Potter and Star Wars\u2026.. there<\/em> was the Wizard of Oz. For a voracious little reader<\/em> in Minneapolis, this was heaven. He bought every<\/em> edition and read them through and through. He<\/em> loved the story of Dorothy and the odd fellows she<\/em> met along the way to Emerald City. All of them<\/em> lacked what Palmer always had: intelligence, a<\/em> heart, and especially courage\u2026 as he struggled with<\/em> numerous health issues over his last years.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So\u2026 off you go, Dad. Off you go with the Wizard<\/em> & Dorothy, the Tin Man, Scarecrow and Cowardly<\/em> Lion\u2026 Down that yellow brick road you go. You<\/em> will be missed. We love you, Dad!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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