H. Phillip “Phil” Palmer Obituary

H. Phillip “Phil” Palmer, 97, of Grinnell, passed away on September 17, 2025, at the Mayflower Health Center, surrounded by his loving family.

Phil was born on July 23, 1928, in Grinnell, Iowa, to Harold and Jean Palmer and was raised in Cedar Falls. He attended Iowa State Teachers College High School (now part of the University of Northern Iowa), where he was active in football and theater. He went on to earn a degree in Industrial Arts from the same institution. After college, Phil taught Industrial Arts at Burlington High School and later worked as a munitions inspector at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. He returned to Grinnell in the early 1950s.

In 1963, Phil married Dorothy Smardack of Olympia Fields, Illinois. Together they raised two daughters, Jennifer and Daphne, in Grinnell.

For more than 40 years, Phil operated a respected construction business that helped shape the Grinnell area through agricultural, commercial, industrial, and residential projects. He also developed two residential neighborhoods in Grinnell, leaving a lasting mark on the community he loved.

Phil was deeply committed to public service. He was an active member of Rotary, the Elks, and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. He served the City of Grinnell as a councilman, a longtime member of the Board of Adjustment, and as a trustee of the Campbell Fund for 26 years.

He enjoyed working on his farm, building furniture, traveling the world with Dorothy, and spending time with friends and family.

Phil is survived by his wife, Dorothy of Grinnell; his daughters, Jennifer Palmer of Grinnell, and Daphne Murphy (Bob) of Washington, D.C.; and six grandchildren: Kate Irwin and Nick Irwin of Des Moines; Margaret Murphy of Los Angeles, Calif.; Anna Murphy (Courtney Crotty) of Denver, Colo.; Second Lieutenant Robert Murphy, U.S. Army, of Fort Bragg, N.C.; and George Murphy of Washington, D.C.

He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Douglas Palmer and Stephen Palmer.

True to his lifelong commitment to helping others, Phil chose to donate his body to the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine so that future physicians could learn and patients might benefit from his final gift.

A memorial service will be held at a later date at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Mayflower Residents Assistance Fund, UnityPoint Hospice of Grinnell, or St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

The family extends heartfelt thanks to the staff of the Mayflower Health Center and UnityPoint Hospice for their exceptional care and support.