Teachers Danny Tsang and Carolyn Loganestey need no prompt to speak endlessly of their colleague and friend, retired Elgin Park Secondary teacher Michele Palmer.
The fond memories also come with tears as the beloved longtime teacher, who officially retired in 2012 then continued to be a teacher-on-call, is now having her "final hurrah" as she is experiencing her last few days with terminal cancer.
"She was always, always looking out for other people," Loganestey said of her "best friend for 30 years."
"She’s like a little angel going around making changes in people's lives."
Palmer declined to be interviewed but said she is honoured that her colleagues are paying tribute to her.
"She did it all so quietly without all the fanfare, it was just what she wanted to do for her students and the community, it was the right thing," said Tsang, who began working with Palmer at the beginning of his career in 1994 at Tamanawis Secondary.
"When I found out she was terminal — she was my neighbour just across the hall. Seven years at Tamanawis and then 12 years here."
By far, Palmer's legacy will be community service, the two easily agreed. It was in 2005 when the teacher first started the community Christmas dinner at Elgin Park Secondary.
The dinner was spurred by Palmer teaching a class and having a lesson on poverty, Loganestey recalled. She took her students to the Downtown Eastside during one class and served the population food.
"For this community, it was a real eye-opener," Loganestey explained.
"Then she realized, well, we have poverty here."
At first, Tsang said, not everyone thought there would be a local need to host a dinner at the school for those who may otherwise not have a Christmas dinner for various reasons. It could've been seniors living alone with no family in town, lower-income families or unhoused individuals.
"Honestly, I think there was a lot of naiveté among some of our staff and students," Tsang said.
"There were a lot of people who were struggling, and even more so now with the cost of living."
Along with staff and student volunteers, the annual dinner still runs and will continue to even after Palmer's passing.
"One thing she told me was that she’d hold that most to heart, the Christmas community dinner that she started here at Elgin that we still maintain," Tsang said.
"That sense of giving, I always found inspiring. There’s not many people I found to be mentors, but she was. She went above and beyond, and she saw the school as the centre point for the community, and she did anything to bring the community together."
Palmer was also a sponsor for grad committee, ran a fashion show, volunteered at the Hospice Thrift Store in South Surrey, participated in many fundraising walks, donated her own money and time to support women in need, helped people on hospice and so much more.
"She didn’t want people to be alone when they were dying, that was a big thing for her," Loganestey said.
"All year she would shop and buy things, then we’d get together end of November and beginning of December and we’d put together these big gift baskets with a whole bunch of things she collected for women, and she’d give it to Sources to hand out. Especially at Christmas, she’d feel so bad for women who were alone and single mothers, and she’d put so much energy, these bags were amazing and just how much she bought all year."
The teacher also organized a tea for seniors to socialize with one another. During the pandemic, Palmer was worried about isolation, so she hosted a neighbourhood scavenger hunt to bring some levity to the community during an uncertain time.
"She was always, always looking out for other people," Loganestey said.
Even at the recent Hike for Hospice, Palmer organized her own team and raised a total of $13,000 although she was unable to walk it herself. Friends and family showed out for her, however, including Loganestey.
"She was a valued member of our volunteer team and we're so grateful that she has continued to support our work, even after retiring as a volunteer," Peace Arch Hospice Society executive director Amanda McNally said in a statement.
Palmer was valued as a volunteer and will be missed, McNally continued.
"She was one of the strongest people I ever knew, she was a doer," Tsang said.
"She could bring students together, she could bring staff together and to the largest extent, she could bring the community together, and I think that’s sadly something that’s missing — the wanting to bring people together."
"Selfless" may be a term that comes to mind when hearing these memories of Palmer, which Tsang and Loganestey said is the best word to describe her.
Many in her life are now taking the last few days to say their goodbyes to Palmer, but all that's been done will stick around for years to come.
"She taught me so much about life, and now she’s showing me how to leave life," Loganestey said through tears.
