Norman "Stormy" Palmer (October 7, 1918 – March 23, 2013) was an American film editor for The Walt Disney Company. He worked for Disney for around 45 years and served as a mentor to Roy E. Disney, who was later appointed vice-chairman of Disney productions.[1] Palmer was best known for his work on the True-Life Adventures series, and in 1998 he was named a Disney Legend.
Biography
Palmer was a fourth-generation Californian born in Santa Ana on October 7th, 1918. His father had given him the nickname "Stormy" at a young age for reasons he didn't recall.[2] Palmer graduated from Hollywood High School in 1937 and submitted an application to Walt Disney Studios before heading to Oregon to work on a ranch and ride horses. The following year he received a phone call informing him that Disney wanted to hire him, and shortly after he joined as a staff projectionist. Six months later, Palmer moved into the Editorial department and assisted on films such as Pinocchio and Fantasia.
During World War II, Palmer worked alongside director John Ford in the photographic unit of the Office of Strategic Services. There, he edited films for the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington, D.C. Later, Palmer was transferred overseas and served an overseas stint as an aerial photographer on surveillance missions. He took surveillance photos of England, France, and Italy. Palmer returned to Disney after the war in 1946, where he met Barbara Major, who worked in the Ink and Paint Department. The two fell in love and married on December 4th, 1947.
After working for 45 years, Palmer retired from The Walt Disney Studios in 1983, reportedly devoting his leisure time to sailing, golfing, and woodworking. Five years later, he was named a Disney Legend. Sometime in 2005, Barbara would pass away after 52 years of marriage. Later, in 2012, Palmer's daughter, Laurie Palmer, passed away as well. Stormy would live in Northridge, California, until he died of natural causes on March 23rd, 2013. He is survived by his remaining daughters Christine Thomson and Lindsey Palmer, as well as his two grandchildren Amanda and Colin Sebern.[3][4][5]
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