Kelly Palmer: August 25, 1968 - June 30, 2009
MIAMI TOWNSHIP, OHIO – Miami Township mom, and Loveland Businesswoman Kelly Palmer lost her fight to survive pancreatic cancer on Tuesday. She had briefly, been taken to a hospice care center to get her medication under control and to manage pain, but passed away in her home, where her three young children would be close. She was recently seen around Loveland playing with her children in a local park, and attending church. She said for several months, “Some days were hard, but many more good, and that when I am feeling good, I'm going to make the most of it.”
For the last year, scans, lengthy surgeries, injections, chemo, good days, and bad days have been her life - inspiring a community that witnessed her strength and courage.
Palmer's personality and fight to survive, made her a regional celebrity. With her diagnoses with pancreatic cancer, came her rallying cry, “Cancer? Schmancer!” There have been 34,342 visits to the CaringBridge web site, managed by her friend and neighbor, Sharon Burton. Burton was also the driving force behind a fund raiser last fall at the Oasis Golf Club and Conference Center, to help the Palmers take some of the bills that had been “accumulating in a shoe box” and get them paid. Kelly's graphic design company, Moondance Design Group in Loveland, and husband Ian's full-time construction work had to be curtailed.
Palmer continued to coach her daughters’ soccer team and run her design firm, for as long as she could while undergoing treatment. Last year, before the November fund raiser she said, “I have no choice but to beat this thing. “I’ve got three beautiful children, a loving husband, and a fantastic network of friends who depend on me every day - giving in to this disease is simply not an option.”
November also happened to be National Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month - a twist of fate that Palmer wanted to make the most of. “I’m just one of an estimated 34,000 Americans who will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year.” She continued, “I want this event to serve as a celebration of life and family, as well as an opportunity for education, because the first step in eradicating this insidious disease is awareness.”
Other expenses of the Palmer's included traveling 180 miles round-trip for treatments at Ohio State University's Comprehensive Cancer Center, plus co-pays, prescriptions, and living expenses. A recent fund drive has been to collect Delta Frequent Flyer miles so Ian's parents could make one more trip from England to help with family care.
Friends can say good-by and visit Kelly's family on Thursday, July 2 between 6-9 PM at Epiphany United Methodist Church, 6635 Loveland Miamiville Road.
A funeral service will be on Friday at the church at 2 PM.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are requested to the Kelly Palmer Family Fund, at any US Bank location.
Donations of more Frequent Flyer miles will also help - to get home Kelly's sister and her daughter and her brother from Miami, Florida, as well as for Ian's sister to come for a visit from England. Contact Sonya Hytree at shytree@cinci.rr.com.
Kelly Lynn (nee Armstrong) Palmer leaves behind her husband Ian, son Kian, and daughters Gwen and Catrin. Also, her parents, William and Kathleen (nee Phillips) Armstrong, her brother James (Ronda) Armstrong, and sister Terri (Carlos) Quintos. Kelly also leaves behind mother and father in law, Terry and Ann Palmer.
Condolences can be left at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kellypalmer1
