Elizabeth Palmer, 47, teacher

Published: Thursday, September 6, 2007 10:02 PM CDT
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Elizabeth Palmer - teacher, traveler and athlete - died at home in Ridgway on Tuesday, September 4. She was 47. The cause was Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), which is commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Liz was born in Rhode Island and moved to Telluride in 1979, where she initially lived in a teepee above town and explored the backcountry. She quickly became an elegant and highly capable skier.

In 1985, she moved to Durango to attend Fort Lewis College and play on the school's volleyball team. She garnered many accolades as the captain of the squad and graduated in 1989 with academic honors and was inducted into the Fort Lewis College Hall of Fame. She returned to Telluride to teach French at the high school and was coach of the girls' volleyball team in the early 1990s, bringing to the program a level of play respected throughout the region. Her teaching later took her to Salida and France.


She energetically explored the planet, visiting such places as New Zealand, South America, and Europe. During the last months of her life, Liz managed to continue her travels, exploring the coast of California and the exotic animals in a game park of South Africa. She had a particular fondness for France and spent time working and skiing in La Grave and other French locales. She was known to relish a good French dinner, accompanied by friends and a bottle or two from a local vineyard. After the meal, she would likely be the first to clear the table to create a dance floor. Because of her outgoing nature, Liz made friends in every corner of the world.

Her enthusiasm for the outdoors was contagious. She inspired friends and family to follow her and was the impetus behind many backpacking, biking, hiking and skiing adventures. From whale watching to climbing peaks or exploring the desert of Utah, Liz sought to discover and see new things.

She is missed by an astounding number of friends in many different countries and survived by her siblings: Katey Palmer of Alaska, Vicky Palmer of Vermont and John Palmer of Massachusetts and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her sister Alex, who also died of the same disease. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations for the Colorado chapter of the ALS Association or Montrose Hospice and Palliative Care.

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