William “Bill” Palmer

Bill (William) Palmer was an old-fashioned gentleman who always carried a clean handkerchief  in his pocket and would give the shirt off his back to anyone who needed it. He passed away on August 28, 2023. 

After he came home from Vietnam, where he was awarded the Purple Heart, he started working as a bartender, then became a sommelier while taking Japanese martial arts classes at the Buddhist Academy in NYC. 

He became the first 8th degree black belt in Kokushiryu Jujutsu and earned a 5th degree in karate. He also studied Tomiki Aikido and Judo. Bill taught for over 40 years and was awarded the teaching degree of Hanshi (Professor in Japanese).  He was also an Instructor/Trainer in CPR and First Aid and often stopped on the streets of NYC to help people in need. 

Bill opened Bogies, the first mystery oriented restaurant in US and interactive mystery dinners were invented there in 1981. All of the events featured play-fair whodunnits that were written by Bill & his wife Karen who produced and directed. They also perpetrated mystery weekends and cruises. 

The restaurant became a hang out for mystery authors and fans. On the weekends in addition to the monthly dinners, mystery authors gave talks and signed books. Old black & white mystery films were shown and old mystery radio shows. The Mystery Writer’s of America held their monthly dinners there, the Private Writers of America held special events at the restaurant as did several Sherlockian groups. The Palmers and the restaurant have appeared in over 40 mystery novels. 

Thanks to Bill’s vast knowledge of the mystery genre, Paperjacks Books gave them their own mystery book line where they picked the books they wanted to publish, were the line editors, and even wrote some of the blurbs in the back of some of the books.

While running the restaurant, Bill continued to teach and was beloved by students and their parents. He taught in two YMCA’s, private schools, and had his own dojo Martial Arts Training School (MATS) at the Children’s Athletic Training School (CATS). 

Bill and his wife also published books about martial art films. When they moved upstate, they taught in the NYS CROP after school program in all 10 schools in the district.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, September 23, 2023 from 3pm-5pm at Miller Funeral Home, Roxbury, NY.