A Prodigious Mind, Architect, and Mentor
Darryl Palmer Jr. was a visionary leader in the engineering world. His journey began remarkably early when he stepped into the NASA Glenn Research Center as a 16-year-old intern. Throughout his 35+ year career, he bridged complex engineering with human-centric solutions—from designing cloudbased AI systems for bedside patient care as CTO of Janus Choice, to leading advanced software infrastructure at Adept Coalescence and Caterpillar Inc.
The NASA Space Act Award
In 1999, during his time at the NASA Glenn Research Center, Darryl wrote a groundbreaking engine simulator software that won a prestigious NASA Space Act Award. He often recalled it as some of the most satisfying technical work of his career—a true breakthrough where the lines of code and models
behaved exactly as the equations predicted.
A Global Champion for the IEEE Community
Darryl poured his heart into volunteering, establishing a monumental legacy of service through the IEEE. He was deeply passionate about the complete lifecycle of education—championing STEM and technical literacy programs for K-12 students, running innovation labs for undergraduate engineering
students, and building training processes to guide engineering professionals through the rapid progression of modern Artificial Intelligence.
A Legacy of Milestones and Leadership
• IEEE Service: Heavily involved across the organization, including section leadership in Central Illinois, regional and global leadership, and contributions to technical committees and publications.
• Corporate Engineering Roles: Control Systems Team Lead at Caterpillar Inc., Lead Software Engineer at Adept Coalescence LLC, CTO of Janus Choice, and Advanced Staff Engineer at Danfoss Drives.
With Gratitude
Darryl is survived by his wife of 18 years, Alexandra “Sasha” Goodwin; his sister, Maryam Palmer; and his brother, Enick Bostick (Danielle). The Palmer family extends our deepest thanks to his Caterpillar colleagues, IEEE member friends, and the Peoria community for gathering to honor his memory. Your shared stories and comfort mean the world to us.
In Memory of Darryl: In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the IEEE Foundation to support pre-university STEM education, a mission Darryl championed locally and globally. Contributions fund hands-on engineering, robotics, and AI programs to inspire the next generation. To make a tribute gift, please visit the IEEE Foundation Tribute Giving Page at https://www.ieeefoundation.org/ways-to-give/tribute-giving/ and designate your donation to the IEEE TryEngineering Fund in memory of Darryl Palmer.
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