Retired Lieutenant Colonel Leonard Nathan Palmer died on October 3, 2024, just one week short of his 83rd Birthday.

Nate was born and raised in Concord, MA and attended Norwich University, a military college located in Vermont. Nate loved playing sports and was on the football team both in high school and college. Nate's love of all things Norwich continued throughout his life, marked by important contributions including initiating and seeing through a saber return program and other sponsorships to financially benefit today's students. Some of Nate's very closest friends throughout his life were the 1959 'rooks' that he started his freshman year with; their 60 years of annual boat trips and golf outings were legendary for the group tee-shirts and the endless retelling of old stories.

Nate graduated college in 1963 as a civil engineer and Army Officer and was stationed in Verdun, France. It was there that he met his wife, Virginia, who was teaching English to the children on the Army base. Despite 'technically' being AWOL for the actual marriage ceremony, they soon enjoyed a lovely three day honeymoon in Belgium. After his discharge, Nate and Virginia moved to Burbank, California, where through much of the 1970's Nate worked for the state of California building highways. After 12 years in California, Nate moved his family home to Massachusetts to join the family business with his father and brother, something he had always wanted to do. Together, he and his brother Craig built a landmark moving and storage business which continues to operate today.

Nate loved traveling and was a self taught enthusiast of many things including war history, European architecture and building, and auto mechanics. From a literary perspective Nate acquired, book by book, an extensive military library distinguished enough that the Army War College of Pennsylvania eagerly awaits its transfer to their facility in Carlisle, PA. Nate worked tirelessly on the restoration of his three vintage trucks and his '63 Austin Healy. His time under the hood working with friends and driving around Acton and Concord with his wife to get ice cream were some of his fondest. Nate was an expert in all things and his counsel was 'usually' valuable. He knew almost everything about what was important and could fix anything; it never occurred to him to avoid trying what he didn't know.

Nate loved his bike and the freedom it gave him to travel and explore. And while he loved his bike trips, particularly his European tours with his sister Jackie, what he really loved was the exertion, challenge, and accomplishment it gave him when he successfully made camp for the night.

Nate adored his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. He absolutely loved to see his family together enjoying each other's company. He was an avid spectator in the stands at his grandchildren's games and one of the best babysitters any of them could ever ask for.

Predeceased by his parents Leonard and Ellen (Blanchard) Palmer, Nate leaves behind his wife of nearly 60 years, Virginia; his son Nathan, Jr. and his wife Susanne (Mason) and their four children, Mason and his wife Paige (Canterbury) and their son Luca, as well as sons Maxwell, Jacob, and Isaac. He also leaves behind his daughter Ellen Palmer Devin, her husband John, and their four children, Liam and his wife Ashton (Penney) and their daughter Saylor, as well as Mae, Gwyneth and Tanner; his brother Craig and his wife Lori (Chandiles) Palmer; his sister Jacqueline Palmer and Andrea Bartolo.

Nate could best be described by one of his favorite historians, Winston Churchill, 'We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give'.

While it is traditional to sign off an obituary with 'RIP', there is no doubt that Nate is right now building a stone wall, raking some leaves, or rescuing a stray cat. He will be greatly and deeply missed by all that knew him.

Services and burial are private.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to:  Norwich University  Office of Development, 158 Harmon Drive, Northfield, VT 05663.

Arrangements are entrusted to Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord.