Charles Palmer (judoka) - Personal Life

Personal Life

Palmer had a flamboyant personality with a somewhat overbearing and confrontational manner that earned him many enemies. For many years he smoked expensive cigars. When he came back from Japan, he drove around Kensington in a Jaguar SS100. In later years he drove his Rolls-Royce to European countries because he preferred its comfort to flying, although he was a qualified pilot. He was a fine card player and owned two gambling casinos, as well as restaurants. As recreations, he had been a drummer in a jazz band and was an expert skier. He was an accomplished linguist, speaking French, Japanese, German and Spanish. Despite having many female admirers, he never married.

In the 1990s his health began to fail, but he continued to attend and preside over BJA Annual General Meetings. He was taken to hospital on 16 August 2001 where he died the next day at the age of 71.