Marvin "Palmer" Terrell, devoted husband and dad, loyal patriot, citizen and friend, dedicated educator, and servant-leader, giver to the core, and steadfast believer in Jesus Christ, passed away peacefully at his home in Stillwater on January 9, 2025 surrounded by his family. A celebration of his life will be 1:30 p.m. Saturday, February 15, 2025 at the First Baptist Church in Stillwater, with Reverend Dr. Tim Walker officiating. Plans are being made for livestreaming and recording the service. Strode Funeral home and Cremation is in charge of the arrangements.

Palmer was born on May 19, 1934, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas to Marvin Tee Terrell and Jewel G. Palmer-Terrell of Bauxite, AR. He was raised in this historic Alcoa Aluminum Company town during the tumultuous years of the Depression and WWII and grew up in a family of faithful and dedicated educators under the shadow of staunch patriots and loyal citizens that undoubtedly shaped the wonderful gentleman he became.

Palmer was a licensed professional engineer, a long-time Industrial Engineering professor at Ok State, and a Senior Member (or Fellow) of the Institute of Industrial Engineers. He earned a bachelor's and master's degree in industrial engineering from the University of Arkansas in 1957 and 1960, respectively. He worked in the industry for a time and returned to academia to complete his PhD in IE from the University of Texas at Austin in 1966. He retired from OSU after 30 years as Professor Emeritus in 1996.

He married that beautiful young lady that his fellow drafting classmate, Bob Miller sat with at First Baptist in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Alice Victoria Miller, on August 22, 1959, in Searcy, Arkansas. Together they weathered thick and thin, in sickness and in health, for over 65 years. They had two children together, Greg Palmer Terrell and Becky Anne Terrell.

Palmer loved and cared for his family deeply. Upon retirement he most looked forward to enjoying more time outdoors and doing things with Alice and the kids. He stated that he had "the best job a guy could have" and was "richly rewarded" seeing his students or advisees succeed in their lives and careers. In addition, he immersed himself in "continuing education" for his family and himself, in dedicated study of Investments and "brain exercises", and for many others via his commitment to Scholarship funding, and persistent networking, and mentoring pursuits during and after his working-years. Palmer was a faithful follower of Jesus Christ and a longtime member of the First Baptist Church. He was an avid supporter of the "Arts" with his favorite artist being Alice, and a die-hard fan of the "Hogs" (could call a good "Woooo Pig Sooie"), OSU Cowboys, and yes, of a more cautious degree, UT's Longhorns and the Dallas Cowboys.

Palmer was preceded in death by his parents, sister Manie Louise Terrell-Whitten, brother-in-law Buddy Whitten, and stepmother Floy C. Dickerson-Terrell.

This intelligent, faithful, humble, reserved, kind, and generous gentleman in every sense of the word, is greatly missed by his surviving family; wife, Alice Miller-Terrell, still at home in Stillwater, son Greg Terrell of Springdale, Arkansas, daughter Becky Terrell of Sanger, Texas, and brother-in-law Frank Miller of Kalispel, Montana, along with many nieces and nephews, former students and colleagues, friends and neighbors as well as the current herd of "grand-pets".

If you prefer, in place of flowers, you could join our dad in giving to a local Non-Profit, such as The Bauxite Museum, Stillwater's "Our Daily Bread" Resource Center or Animal Welfare Shelter, or nationally to Samaritans Purse, or a medical research facility funding Parkinson's or blood cancer research, or to St. Jude's or Schriners Children's Hospitals, or to the U of A, OSU, or UT Engineering foundations or a Scholarship fund of your choosing.

Our family thanks the Luminos Hospice team and is greatly indebted to the team of caregivers that have faithfully cared for our family since August of 2018. Special thanks to Carri Hoffman for creating the team and Wanda Pavlu for faithfully heading up the group of amazing ladies that have become family and continue to care for us so well.