Another benchrest legend passess

Over the last few years a number of the founders of benchrest shooting have passed. None more influential as Lou and Ferris. With their legacy on earth we have a lot to look forward to in heaven benchrest on the ultimate range. There have been many post here and other web sites f the aging crowd in benchrest and other disciplines of shooting.
it will be interesting to see where benchrest and longrange goes in the next 20 years. Tactical shooting and F-Class seem to be getting the attention now.
Nat Lambeth
 
The times that Lou & I talked at length about different subjects & experiences are some of my most treasured memories. My heart & prayers go out the the always gracious Patti & family.
I'll close with wet eyes & a smile. We'll miss you Lou.
Semper Fi
 
Dear friends,
Here is a copy of the obituary from our local paper....

Louis C. "Doc" Palmisano
Surgeon, inventor, author, dog breeder

Louis C. Palmisano, MD, 81, of Wapwallopen concluded his jouney
in this life on Sunday morning, October 23, 2011, in his home.
Born in Paterson, NJ, a son of the late John P. and Juliette
Theodora Palmisano, he was a graduate of Seton Hall University and
received his medical degree from the University of Bologna, Bologna,
Italy. As a cardiovascular surgeon, Dr. Palmisano practiced at the
Fairlawn, Barnert, and St. Joseph's Hospitals until retiring to
Wapwallopen, PA. After retirement he owned the John P. Palmisano
Memorial Rifle Range.
An active man who was an author of the movie, "Mafia Doctor"
which was made into a CBS miniseries, he was a co-inventor of the 6mm PPC
(Palmisano-Pindell) cartridge and rifle which holds over 150 world
records in short range benchrest shooting. The Technical Advisor for
the U.S. Shooting Team at the Olympics for both 300 meters and Rimfire,
he helped guide the U.S. Shooting Team to the Gold Medal in 300-meter
competition at the Olympics in Sweden.
He was a lifetime honorary member of the Shooting Sports Research
Council of the U.S. Shooting Team, a member of both the Passaic
County, N.J. Medical Society and the Medical Society of New Jersey,
the Screenwriters Guild, the International Benchrest Shooters, the
Newfoundland Club of America, and the New-Pen-Del Newfoundland Club.
As a ballistics designer, he acted as a military consultant for
the U.S. Army, taught surgical anatomy at Seton Hall University,
volunteered in service at the East Orange Veterans Hospital, and was
co-owner of Council Cup Newfoundlands. He bred and owned over 40 AKC
champion dogs, including top winners in the USA, Canada, and Europe.
He was preceeded in death by his first wife, Marna Greene Palmisano.
Lou will be remembered by his wife, Mary (Patti) McDowell
Palmisano; three children: Hana Palmisano Schiavo and husband Alfred,
Hawthorne, N.J.; David Palmisano, Paterson, N.J.; Kim Palmisano Dunne
and husband Peter IV, Cherry Hill, N.J.; three stepchildren: Raymond
McDowell, Poland; Michael and Brian McDowell, N.J.; 10 grandchildren:
Griffin and Spencer Schiavo, Marna, Peter V, and Andrew Dunne;
Brendan, Connor, Shannon, Christopher, and Melody McDowell, New
Jersey; a brother, John Palmisano, Brewster, MA; six nieces and
nephews.
All services are private.
Contributions in his memory may be made to Take The Lead at
www.takethelead.org
 
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Dear friends,
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your kind thoughts, and most especially for sharing your memories. I shed many tears reading them, and will cherish your words.
I am also most grateful to those of you who have reached out with cards and calls and donations in his memory.

A very special thank you to the members of the shooting community who have reached out in the past year to Lou during his illness. Your cards, letters, and calls brightened many of his days. He read and re-read those letters and carried them in his pockets until they were worn to nothing.

He loved guns, bullets, shooting, competitions, and above all: SHOOTERS.

I have such fond memories of those huge shoots here at the range in the first years Lou & I were together. So many names and faces are forever stuck in my mind... nights sitting around someone's bonfire in lawnchairs, having a beer at the end of the day... the excitement when seeing familiar faces driving up the mountain road.... or the evenings when we would sometimes have a houseful of shooters, with someone playing the piano....

I even remember feeling someone pinch my backside, and turning to see Ferris wink at me from his chair.

Lou would talk for hours about the triple duece and his baby, the PPC... and falling in love with Council Cup mountain and this range. His eyes would still light up whenever he talked about "the year we beat the Russians" at the Olympics, one of his favorite memories.

I can close my eyes and picture him in heaven talking with Miles Hollister, toothpick in the corner of Miles' mouth, and all of the other shooters who have gone before.

Lou was charming and charismatic, and yes, sometimes a royal pain-in-the-backside. He was brilliant but stubborn, he was wildly passionate about everything he did and everyone he knew... which maybe wasn't always a good thing.. but he did promise me when we met and fell in love that "life would never be boring". It was a promise he kept. :)

He had a heart of gold, and helped so many people without anyone ever knowing. In the end, it was that huge heart that failed him and sent him away from those of us who loved him.

Please continue to post your memories when you have the time.. his children and I have enjoyed them so much... and maybe someone in shooting will gather some of them for a memorial article for someplace like Precision Shooting....
regards,
Patti
 
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