Theodis Parsons Palmer

September 23, 1926 - January 3, 2019

The family requests that floral tributes be in white, ivory, and green. Theodis Parsons Palmer, wife, working mother, educator, businesswoman, church leader, social worker, administrator, advocate for women and their families, activist for civil rights and social change and a visionary, transitioned Thursday January 3, 2019, at the Agape Hospice and Suites in Lexington, South Carolina. Born in Pike County, Missouri, on September 23, 1926, she was the third of four children born to the late Richard and Evelyn Douglas Parsons. Theodis was a graduate of Sumner High School (St. Louis, Missouri) Class of 1943, attended Lincoln University, (Jefferson City, Missouri) and graduated from Howard University in the Class of 1949. While at Howard University, she earned a degree in business administration and completed further studies in business at American University, (Washington, DC). She was employed in Washington, DC for many years, but after meeting Robert John Palmer (Bob) she knew her life would dramatically change and she would move from a metropolitan city to the segregated Jim Crow South. On July 3, 1955, she and Bob eloped and married in the parsonage of Emmanuel United Methodist Church. She was immediately immersed in the funeral profession by her husband’s obligation to conduct a funeral prior to their honeymoon. She was lovingly received into the Palmer and Dibble families by their matriarchs, Adelaide Palmer McDonald and Sallie Lee Dibble. Other than her husband, the most significant relationship in her new family was with her late mother-in-law Ellie Naudin Dibble Palmer. Her mother-in-law was instrumental in teaching her how to adjust to her southern environment and how to break barriers and be a force to be reckoned with in her own right. Through her own observation, the guidance and mentoring of her mother-in-law, she was shown how to break through color barriers while strengthening the role of women which led to her community choices in activism and her leadership role in the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA). Her love and devotion to Bob placed her in the heart of segregation and the Civil Rights movement at a time when the 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education had just been decided. Behind the scenes, Freedom Riders were fed, provided overnight accommodations on her living room floor and lunches were packed to assist them with their travels. The incident of Rock Hill, South Carolina, occurred the day after the Freedom Riders had spent the night in her home. The ambulance service of the family business was being used to transport national and state Civil Rights leaders to safety and responding to false calls by the Klu Klux Klan while taking local residents to hospitals, those who had died while incarcerated and those lynched had to be returned to their families and buried. Theo helped to plan strategy in church basements, listened to CB radios of impending danger and reported happenings to liberal news sources such as The Charlotte Observer. In the 1960s, Mrs. Palmer quietly walked the picket lines (even while pregnant), marched for social change, and went to jail in white gloves and heels. Yet in the midst of it all, meals had to be prepared, children had to be protected, safety was paramount, but a change was inevitable. Theo took change to another level. She did not ask of other children what she would not expect of her own, thus her own children were involved in the integration movement. She imported international and Ivy League college students through Teacher Corps, to expose children from the segregated south to the Arts. She created programs for strengthening basic skills in math, English, creative writing, drama, and other fine arts. Theo transported children to worlds they had never seen: Poinsett State Park, state historic sites, Washington DC; Williamsburg, Virginia, New York and college tours before they became popular. Local African American children were exposed to life skills such as swimming and etiquette. When Black children could not use public swimming pools, she contacted the Pentagon to have them transported to Shaw Air Force Base for lessons. Later Bates Pool was built. She provided a safe haven, through the YWCA, for children in many years of day camp. Theo coached students on how to take advantage of opportunities, how to challenge and how to reap the benefits of the integration laws that had been passed. Theo encouraged them to challenge their parents as to why they had to go in the back door, or why certain public facilities were off limits. If any authority challenged them, she encouraged the young people to be courteous but continued to ask the probing why questions and to persist in correcting injustices. As a result of this non-violence strategy, the following entities were integrated in the Sumter community: The Red Cross, YMCA, theaters, playgrounds, local parks and drama productions related to self-pride and barrier-breaking were conducted-all to build the confidence level of the young people. Thus Theo represents one of the “unsung heroes of the Civil Rights Movement." Leadership in the YWCA was a rewarding experience. It reinforced self-esteem, encouragement, determination, and exploration. At the time, Theo was one of only three Black Executive Directors throughout the country. She received national and global training and was the person sent to evaluate YWCA self-reviews on the one imperative-the Elimination of Racism. As a result of her work and out of appreciation, the YWCA offered to send her to seven countries to examine programs and to suggest how programs could be implemented globally with limited resources. In 1965, as Executive Director, Theo was the brainchild for many community innovations and most efficiently managed the operation by implementing the following programs: CETA; rural head start program for District Two at Morris College ( the program was a collaborative effort between the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Morris College Department of Education and the YWCA); College-bound summer enrichment for disadvantaged youth, job experience and rural development; Rural Women’s Project; TWIN-Tribute to Women in Industry; Dignity Housing Associations, Inc., two housing complexes for the elderly, disabled and/or handicapped- Dignity Village in Sumter and Palmer Place in Camden, South Carolina; Family Violence-Safe House shelter (since 1982 it has served three counties, Lee, Clarendon, and Sumter) and other services for victims of Domestic Violence (developed a pioneer program for Men Who Batter); Sexual Assault, Child Abuse and Neglect; Double Dutch and other Youth Programs; and Alcohol and Drug Prevention relating to the special problem of women and girls. Under her leadership, the YWCA was instrumental in launching an infant mortality demonstration project with a mobile medical unit which provided health screenings and immunizations in rural under-served areas of Sumter County. This was a collaborative effort between DHEC, Sumter County Council, Dr. Stewart Hamilton and the Children’s Trust Fund. The dedication and commitment of Mrs. Palmer to the YWCA was unsurpassed. Being a hard worker, she willingly undertook the tasks of developing and implementing a budget amounting to more than $1million, managing facilities valued at over $2 million according to the unqualified audit in 2007, organizing and supervising committees, promoting programs among community and business leaders and constantly searching for resources of funding and initiating programs to tap such resources. For over 44 years she fulfilled one or many of the roles in her introduction simultaneously. What many could not see and said could not be accomplished, she brought to fruition. Breaking barriers became her business. As a businesswoman, she and her late husband, Robert John Palmer, founded the Guaranty Insurance Agency and she assisted with its management. After Bob’s death, she became President and owner of the Palmer Memorial Chapel, Inc. of Sumter. She was a member of Emmanuel United Methodist Church and served in many capacities and on numerous boards as an officer on the local, district, and conference levels of the United Methodist Church. She was a charter member of the Eta Zeta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the first president of the Sumter League of Women Voters and the first Black woman to serve on the SC State Board of League of Women Voters, a founding member of The Forum, Church Women United, The Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce, MADD, the Environmental Coalition of Sumter County, life member of the NAACP, National Council of Negro Women and the Columbia Chapter of the Links, Inc. She was appointed by then Governor Richard Riley to serve on the first Governors School for the Arts Board of Directors in SC; Board of Trustees of Columbia College, other Board memberships included: South Carolina Humanities Council, National Endowment of the Humanities, South Carolina National Bank, The Covenant Place Retirement Home, Sumter Gallery of Art, and the National Association of YWCA Executives. She received numerous awards for community leadership and outstanding contributions including Women of Achievement by the SC Commission on Women, inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame, and honored for over 50 years of outstanding service as a charter member of Eta Zeta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her only brother O'Neil "Pat" Parsons and her older sister Arminta Parsons Uter. In 1995, her beloved life mate, Robert John Palmer, transitioned after 40 years of marriage. In December of 2000, she married Dr. Tanner McMahon who also preceded her in death in 2007. Precious memories will be cherished by: two daughters: Lorin Peri Palmer and Vikki Laurence Palmer; one grandson, Palmer A.D. Fielding; one sister, Lois B. Parsons; two nieces: Ema P. Green and Genela (Grover) Harden; four nephews: Joel Khalfani, Jeff (Britta) Uter, Jim (Carrie) Palmer and Brooks Naudin Palmer; a sister-in-law Rose Martin Palmer; extended family including employees and dear friends. In her final Executive Director’s report, January 2009, to the YWCA membership, she quoted Booker T. Washington who stated, "Success is to be measured not so much by the position one has reached in life, as by the obstacles which are overcome while trying to succeed.” In closing, Theodis Parsons Palmer truly felt, “Know from whence we came. For some it would have been a signal to retreat. For us it was a call to duty.” Memorial donations may be made to one of the following: Theodis Parsons Palmer Leadership Fund send to: Central Carolina Community Foundation 2711 Middleburg Drive, Suite 213 Columbia, South Carolina 29204 803-254-5601 www.yourfoundation.org Agape Hospice/Agape Senior Foundation 1624 Main Street Columbia, South Carolina 29201 Howard University School Of Fine Arts Division of Development & Alumni Relations 1851 9th Street, NW, 3rd Floor Washington, District of Columbia 20001