William Palm Obituary

Palm, William Benjamin "Bill" Age 85, of Chicago, died October 6, 2013. Bill was born May 2, 1928, to John F. and Minnie (Bye) Palm, in Minneapolis. Bill attended Eagle Bend (MN) High School and the University of Minnesota. He served in the U.S. Army, including a tour in Kyoto, Japan, where he worked as a switchboard operator during the occupation following World War II. Bill loved to travel and visited many places on this planet. He was employed by the Department of Labor as a supervisor in employment development. He retired in 1984. He took pride in the work he did to help people identify vocations, the education and experience needed to excel. He was a lover and lifelong supporter of the arts, particularly in Chicago. He was an ardent believer in civil and human rights for all people, even those with whom he vehemently disagreed. He was disgusted with the state of civil discourse in the country for which he was so honored to serve. Bill was preceded in death by his parents; brother, John R.; sister-in-law, Inger; sister, Helen Madsen; and companion, Leo Gonyea. He is survived by nieces, Rebecca Gombkoto, Jeanette Madsen and Suzanne Palm; nephews, James B. Madsen and Jon (Anna) Palm; brother-in-law, James H. Madsen; and "step children", Ann (Larry) Gonyea-Alexander, Sarah Paradise and Christopher (Karen) Gonyea. A memorial service will be held for Bill on November 16, 2013, at 1:00 p.m., at the Lutheran School of Theology Chapel, 1100 E. 55th St., Chicago. A brief time of fellowship will follow. Interment will be at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN, at a later date. At the family's request, memorials may be made to the ACLU, In Memory of William Palm, 125 Broad Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10004.