PORT TOWNSEND — Andy Palmer, who died at the age of 18, went out of his way to be helpful and friendly.
Working as a seasonal mop-up firefighter for the National Forest Service, Palmer’s life was ended by a freak accident miles from medical aid deep in the woods of Northern California.
His spirit of kindness, loyalty, integrity and humility didn’t die with him, though.
Now almost three years to the date of his death July 25, 2008, through the Andy Palmer Memorial Scholarship, the exuberant bear of a young man — born in Port Angeles and a graduate of Port Townsend High School — still inspires help for students like himself who would give the shirts off their back should the need arise.
Established fund
His parents, Dr. Robert and Janet Palmer, established the Andy Palmer Endowment with $40,000 in contributions from local residents and businesses after his death.
Since then, the Andy Palmer Memorial Scholarship fund has provided $5,000 scholarships to graduating seniors of both Port Townsend and Port Angeles high schools.
Nominees for the scholarships must have “consistently demonstrated an effort to create and support a culture of kindness, loyalty, integrity and humility at school and in the community.”
This year’s recipients are Ashlee Nollette of Port Townsend and Carter Urnes of Port Angeles.
Money for the scholarship fund is raised through events like the Andy Palmer Day planned Saturday at Autoworks, 2313 Third St., in Port Townsend.
From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the shop will host a variety of children’s games — plastic duck fishing, paintball, target shooting, golf ball chipping into a cup, virtual race car driving — as well as rides in real sports cars and hand-washing of cars by Boy Scouts.
Tickets will be sold for a mechanical car wash.
A drawing will be held each hour for those who did the best in the games. Prizes will be gift certificates from merchants and restaurants.
The event is a labor of love for Autoworks owner Mark DuMond, service manager Roger Miles — who organized the event — and other employees who worked alongside Palmer who are donating their time to provide oil changes, with proceeds going into the scholarship fund.
When DuMond met the big kid who came around looking for work a few years before his death, he could see he wasn’t the usual self-absorbed teenager.
Palmer told DuMond he’d work for free just to have a chance to prove himself. DuMond hired him to do odd jobs around the auto repair shop.
Miles supervised the 6-foot-5-inch tall, 240-pound Port Townsend High School student — Palmer graduated from Port Townsend High School in 2008 as a four-year varsity letterman — and quickly learned Palmer would often volunteer to help others.
Miles remembers Palmer visiting a friend whose father was planning to build a doghouse.
Palmer pitched in to help, bringing his own tools from home.
“That’s what kind of a guy Andy Palmer was,” DuMond said.
Honest, willing to help
“He could joke around, but you couldn’t find anyone more honest and willing to help. It was never ‘What’s in it for me?’”
Palmer’s inspiration also informs the charity of business owners and others who may themselves be suffering economically in these hard times, DuMond said.
Guitar maker J. Gordon never knew Palmer, but after reading a memorial poster placed in a prominent spot at Autoworks, he donated a guitar worth $2,000 to the scholarship fund.
Another business owner, Steve Goodwin, who runs a business flying people in a 1928 Travel Air biplane, donated a 30-minute flight worth $250.
DuMond and Miles said 55 sponsors have signed on to help raise money.
Palmer died of blood loss from an injured left leg as paramedics attempted to get him to safety after he was struck by a large tree limb in a remote spot while he worked at the Iron Complex fires in Shasta-Trinity National Forest near Weaverville, Calif.
Palmer might have survived had he been able to get emergency care quickly enough, DuMond said, but he died en route to Mercy Medical Center in Redding, Calif., about 50 miles from the accident site.
“I get choked up about it all the time,” Miles said, his voice trailing off.
“I’m hoping we’ll have triple and quadruple the number of people at this year’s fundraiser.
“My biggest fear is that we won’t be able to accommodate all of them.”
For more information, visit www.autoworkspt.com.
Donations to the scholarship fund may be sent to 538 Calhoun St., Port Townsend, WA 98368.
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Philip L. Watness is a freelance writer and photographer living in Port Townsend. He can be reached at whatnews@olypen.com.
