Michael Robert Palmer, 58

Michael Robert Palmer, 58, passed away on Friday, Feb. 17, 2006, in Hope, Idaho.

Michael has touched many and will be tremendously missed. The family would like to invite those who would like to attend a celebration of his life at the Hope Community Center in Hope on Saturday, Feb. 25, from 1-5 p.m.

Mike was born March 29, 1947, in New York City, N.Y., to Tom and Mavis Palmer. He spent two years in a private school before his parents decided to travel overseas. They attended the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1952 and traveled aboard the grand ship to Germany and England. His parents decided to stay in England. After spending a couple of years there, the Palmer family headed back home to New York.

In the mid-1950s the family moved to Hollywood, Calif. Driven by a desire to play a part in the latest craze, television. Mike finished grade school and graduated from Notre Dame High School, N. Hollywood, Calif., in 1965. After high school he went to work for The Dating Game and The Newlywed Game as a stand-in host prepping the contestants for the show.

Looking for adventure, Mike headed for Hawaii in 1969. There he worked for a local TV station as a cameraman.

In 1972, he returned stateside, met and married his first wife, Sandy. They moved to Minturn, Colo. where they ran a reel-to-reel theater. Mike also started to drive truck during that time. He was proud to be involved in the construction of the back side of Vail Ski Resort, hauling and pouring concrete for the new ski lifts.

He moved to North Idaho in November 1979 and started driving truck for the Up-link Mobile Satellite Co. in the early 1980s. Eventually he started long-haul trucking. He even hauled and helped run the cable for the satellite system that guided the first landing of the shuttle, Columbia.

In 1986, little did he know that his true adventure was about to begin. He met his lovely wife, Julie E. Burkart, they were married in June 1987.

Together they started their own successful trucking company, Rosa Ranch Inc. in Clark Fork, Idaho. Together they raised two beautiful children, Zach, 17, and Zara, 13, sharing with them Mike's love for life and adventure.

Mike loved to ride his Harley, feeling the wind in his hair, and Julie at his back. He also enjoyed the game of golf, so much he taught his son all he knew about the game. He would never miss watching a good boxing match either.