RAY PALMER BECAME A MEMBER OF THE PASADENA BOWLING ASSOCIATION AT AGE 16 AND FOR THE NEXT 22 YEARS COULD BE SEEN OUT ON THE LANES AT THE OLD PASADENA LANES.

PALMER ORGANIZED THE PASADENA JUNIOR BOWLING ASSOCIATION IN 1958 AND CONTINUED TO COACH THE JUNIOR BOWLERS THROUGH 1965. HE ALSO ORGANIZED AND DIRECTED THE GULF COAST JUNIOR BOWLING TOURNAMENT WHICH INCLUDED BOWLERS FROM NEW ORLEANS, BILOXI, GALVESTON, CORPUS CHRISTI, DALLAS, BROWNSVILLE AND AREA JUNIOR BOWLERS. PALMER WAS A PASADENA BOWLING ASSOCIATION BOARD MEMBER FOR 11 YEARS, FROM 1965 THROUGH 1976.

DURING HIS TENURE HE SERVED AS CITY SECRETARY FOR 8 YEARS, AND IS A LIFE MEMBER OF THIS ASSOCIATION. PALMER’S HIGH GAME OF 284 AND HIGH SERIES OF 786 ATTEST TO THIS 186 AVERAGE BOWLER’S SKILLS.

PALMER WAS A MEMBER OF 5 CITY CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS, AN ASSOCIATION SINGLE CHAMPION TWICE AND AN ALL EVENTS CITY CHAMPION 3 TIMES.

WHAT MAKES THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS MORE SPECTACULAR IS THAT RAY PALMER WAS SADDLED WITH THE DISEASE POLIO. HE OVERCAME THIS HANDICAP AND STILL COMPETED AT A HIGH LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE. PALMER’S DEMEANOR ON AND OFF THE LANES WAS ALWAYS THAT OF A GENTLEMAN AND GOOD SPORTSMAN. PEOPLE THAT KNEW RAY PALMER ARE STILL IN AGREEMENT THAT IF THEY HAD TO CHOOSE ONE PERSON AS A FRIEND RAY PALMER WOULD BE THAT PERSON.