By Jessie Burchette
Salisbury Post
For decades, Hank Palmer was the toast of the town whether it was business, politics, theater or social events.
Henry Hancock “Hank” Palmer, 90, died at Rowan Regional Medical Center on Saturday after a lengthy illness.
Palmer was a former Rowan County Commissioner and a former executive vice president of the Salisbury-Rowan County Chamber of Commerce. He also served nine years on the Rowan County Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.
In 1988 in a bid for the Republican nomination for the Rowan County Board of Commissioners, Palmer and J. Newton Cohen edged out fellow Republicans Jim Neely and Jim Sides.
Palmer and Cohen won in November and served four years together.
“He was a gentlemen’s gentlemen,” Cohen said late Sunday afternoon. “He was the same all the time.”
While Palmer was Republican, Cohen said he was never hard core. “He has a soft spot in his heart for different concerns.”
While they may have disagreed on some votes and issues during their service on the board, Palmer stood his ground and did what he thought was right.
“He was not all that much of a politician. … He was just an all-round good guy,” said Cohen. “If he had anything to say about anybody, 99 percent of the time it was good.”
A native of Massachusetts and graduate of Dartmouth College, Palmer and his wife, Petie, quickly became part of Salisbury after arriving here in the 1950s.
A theater buff, Palmer took on many roles in Piedmont Players Theater. In a 1968 production of “The Odd Couple,” Palmer, his wife and a daughter had starring roles.
In 1967, Palmer left his job as an executive with the Salisbury-Rowan County Chamber of Commerce to open a new business, Palmer’s Rowan Stationers Inc.
In 1969, he became the first president of a newly formed organization, the Rowan Republicans Tusk ‘n Trunk Club.
During a run for Salisbury City Council in 1969, Palmer talked abut the accomplishments of the people and the community in a story published in the Post.
He spoke of the lean years following the closing of the Spencer Shops. “From those dim days, our people worked to produce seven years of the greatest growth and development in our history, and this growth has brought with it new problems, but they sure are better problems than those we had 10 years ago. They’re mostly problems of progress rather than problems of stagnation.”
Palmer also told the Post reporter that he was concerned that government is too impersonal. Palmer said the problems of government involve human problems and that statistics don’t touch the real needs. “The real danger in quoting statistics is that it is real easy to forget that every group problem is made up of real, live human individuals,” Palmer said.
In 1985, Palmer sold his stationers business and formed a new company, Hank Palmer and Associates, an advertising speciality company.
As he completed his first term on the Rowan County Board of Commissioners in 1992, Palmer opted not to seek re-election. “I need to spend more time with my wife and family. This was my first and last term,” said Palmer, who was 74 at the time.
He did accept an appointment to the Rowan ABC Board. As his health failed, he left the board in 2006.
A memorial service is planned on Thursday at 11 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church, with visitation in Lewis Hall following the service.
Arrangements are being handled by Evergreen Cremation Services of Salisbury.
Contact Jessie Burchette at 704-797-4254 or jburchette@salisburypost.com.