John S. Palmer ’44

With his family present, Bud died peacefully March 19, 2013, in West Palm Beach, Fla.

He prepared at Exeter. At Princeton he roomed with Phil Paris, played basketball and lacrosse, majored in modern languages, and was in Cottage Club.

Bud was one of eight men, possibly the first, to adopt a one-handed jump shot. He was a 6-foot-4-inch spark on the varsity team as a sophomore and junior when he entered the Navy, where he piloted a B-26 bomber for towing targets. In 1946 he convinced Ned Irish, president of Madison Square Garden, to hire him to play for the New York Knicks, becoming their first captain.

He performed in several local NBC-TV shows and became a sportscaster on radio and TV on all three major networks. From 1966 to 1974, he was the official New York City greeter for Mayor John Lindsay, planning social affairs and parades for the likes of Lord Mountbatten and astronauts. He did coverage for three Olympics, the Masters in golf, and Open tennis.

His first of four marriages was to Dick LeBlond’s sister, Mary, with whom he had a daughter, Lisa. Lisa survives him, as do daughters Gene Palmer and Betty Landercasper, son John, and two grandsons. The class has lost a great Tiger talent and friend.