Dawna Elaine Palmer

Dawna Elaine Palmer
September 6, 1929 to January 28, 2017
Born in Chatham, Ontario, Canada on September 6th, 1929, the first of two daughters to Ellen Lila Forsythe and Percy Reginald West. Mother to three and grandmother to four, she passed quietly and peacefully after sunset in La Jolla, California on January 28th with her three children holding her hands, as she went quietly and peacefully to heaven above. She joined her husband, nine months and three days after his death.
Dawna is survived by her children Karyn Campbell, Deidre Bird (Steve) and David Palmer (Robin), her grandson’s Casey and Colton Campbell and granddaughter’s Rebecca and Allie Palmer, as well as her sister, Barbara Taylor who resides in Chatham with her husband Jack and their children and grandchildren.
Receiving her nursing degree in 1950 from Chatham General, known today as Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, she caught the eye of her husband Duane, while working in a Detroit, Michigan hospital in 1953. She was a delivery room nurse which she loved greatly. They married on June 12th, 1954 and made the move to the west coast where she had her first child, Karyn, in May of 1955 in Glendale, California. For a couple of years, she supported her husband while he was interning at Glendale Community Hospital and she later helped him start his General Practice in Family Medicine in Lakeside, California. She gave up nursing to be a fulltime mother and wife in 1957. Her second child, Deidre, was born in May of 1959 and then her son, David, in December of 1963 whom were both born in the former Heartland Hospital in La Mesa. A devoted wife and mother, she attended every football game, dance recital, and swim meet in which her children participated. Dawna was very active with the PTA, Las Hermanas and a 50-year season ticket holder with the San Diego Chargers. Being very passionate about gardening, she had an extensive rose garden, as well as many other flowers. There was not a day, that she did not complete a daily crossword puzzle and she was also very active with several bridge clubs over the past 50 some years. Dawna was also very proud of her San Diego Zoological Membership. Once the children were grown and out of the house, she worked in the real estate business for a short time, but their love for travel kept them heading out of town. Dawna’s favorite trips were those of river cruises, making new friends along the way and visiting her family in Canada. In 1999, she decided it was time to become an American Citizen, which she pledged to on October 28th.
A private celebration of Dawna’s life will be held on March 18, 2017 at 1:00 pm at Singing Hills Memorial Park.
Dawna will be loved and missed tremendously, but it’s a true blessing that she is now with family and friends above.
For those who would like to remember Dawna, donations can be made to the American Lung Association http://lung.org/donate/ . Fond memories or wishes of Dawna Palmer, can be placed at http://featheringillmortuary.com/