Bob Palmer: Shortland man killed at service station remembered as brilliant father, community hero
Bob Palmer has been remembered by his adoring family as a community-minded, gentle soul who inspired many. Police allege he was stabbed and killed while walking past a Newcastle service station.
Newcastle
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It could be the time Bob Palmer proudly popped down to his local pub, “The Shorty”, to show off framed photographs of his two uniformed children — daughter Mollie had graduated in the RAAF after his son Trent had already graduated in the army.
Maybe it was the month-long road trip Bob took on earlier this year — from Newcastle to the Northern Territory to spend time with Mollie before shooting across to Townsville to see Trent and heading home.
Or was it 10 years ago when Bob and Trent worked together to save the life of Bob’s mother Dorothy after she collapsed suffering a heart attack.
It may well be the times Bob “stole’’ his mum’s lawnmower to hand cut the vast expanses where his beloved Shortland Devils played after the rugby league club had their ride-on stolen.
But possibly it was just the endless times where Bob “listened twice as much as he spoke” during conversations with those close to him.
Whatever the example, Bob Palmer was the epitome of a local hero — a constant across
Shortland for almost all of his 54 years — long before he lost his life in a senseless attack on Saturday night.
Bob was walking his daughter’s golden retriever puppy, Henry, to a service station to buy some cigarettes after just welcoming Trent home from Townsville.
He had already spent some precious time with Mollie, who had been home for a few weeks from her posting, and had bought a kebab earlier in the night before returning for the smokes.
Police will allege in court Bob was stabbed by local man Zack Mavin, who had already failed in one armed robbery attempt armed and was about to try another armed with a knife. Mavin has been charged with murder.
Little Henry, the gorgeous pup Bob had driven from Newcastle to the Northern Territory just a few months ago, never left his side as paramedics worked to revive him. But Bob could not be saved.
His devastated family have spoken of a gentle and caring soul, whose life centred around his community.
A boilermaker – like his late father Ted and his son Trent – Bob was forced into early retirement when he badly injured his back about 20 years ago.
But the sometimes debilitating injury was never enough for Bob Palmer to retreat into the shadows.
He was part of the furniture at The Shorty – the Shortland Hotel where he had his own chair – and had been everything from a player and coach to groundsman and timekeeper for his beloved Devils.
“Dad was a devoted family man and his second family was the Shortland football club,’’ Trent told The Newcastle News.
“It was community pride.’’
One of Bob’s three sisters, Janelle Trimble, said her little brother was a brilliant father who was constantly proud of his kids.
“He raised amazing children. They are so independent, they are so kind, they are so hard working. They are just unbelievable. He was such an amazing father,’’ Janelle said.
“If there was one word to describe him, it would be easygoing. But he was also polite, he was considerate, and he was humble.’’
The family spoke of Bob deciding on the month-long road trip across three states just after the coronavirus pandemic hit earlier this year.
There were concerns about whether his beaten up RAV4 would make it. But Bob said it was about the adventure, not about the car.
He came up and he was so excited,’’ Mollie said.
“Left his thongs at Daly Waters. Made friends all the way up, like he always does.
“Stayed in Katherine with me for two weeks and had the best time.
“It got to the stage where we had people going passed our house saying ‘who’s that old guy sitting out the back on your deck’. All the girls loved him.
He was just like a second Dad up there.’’
Trent added: “He loved it. Thought it was the best trip ever.’’
But it was not the first time he had travelled to see the kids – he had not missed a graduation and had travelled to Wagga, into Victoria, and been to Townsville several times to see Trent.
He also took a drive with Mollie as she left Amberley air force base in Queensland to head to her new posting in Northern Territory.
He wore his Shortland Devils jumper everywhere.
“We spent the whole week just stopping into places. Everywhere we went we had a beer. It was just one big pub crawl.
“He wanted to experience stuff. He loved talking to people and getting to know people. He would listen twice as much as he spoke.’’
And that was Bob Palmer. His kids loved his favourite saying “you can never
judge a suburb unless you’ve been to their local pub’’.
And his local was The Shorty – where he would wear his beloved Sydney Roosters jumper when they played and sing out “cock-a-doodle-do’’ every time they scored.
It was also the place where he famously took the two large frames of his kids in their uniforms, not just to proudly show them off to his mates, but to also have a beer with the photos in celebration.
He was known to never speak a bad word and never had an enemy. He would be seen on his multiple daily walks to the servo for a $2 coffee or a feed, and would stop to speak to everyone.
“A straw hat was his thing, and wearing thongs until they were completely gone,’’ Mollie said.
“Would not throw a pair of thongs out, he liked them worn in.’’
But sometimes he had to be serious.
Like when he performed CPR on his mum Dorothy after she collapsed at home suffering a heart attack.
It will be exactly 10 years ago on Wednesday.
“My specialist said I had a clot in the middle of my heart and I should have died,’’ Mrs Palmer, now aged 84, said.
“But because he worked on me, he dissolved the clot. He and Trent saved my life.’’
His family said he would be “gobsmacked” by the outpouring of grief across Shortland following his death. But he would also be proud that his suburb was sticking together.
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