Obituary of Bruce-W. Adams

ADAMS, Bruce W., 73, of Tampa, Florida, died on Thursday, September 12, 2002. Mr. Adams was predeceased by his daughter Marguerite Anne Adams. He is survived by his widow, Shirley Bowman Adams of Tampa, Florida; his son, Bruce H. Adams of Tampa, Florida; and his daughter, Lori Adams, M.D. of Underhill, Vermont. Mr. Adams is also survived by his sister, Alice Adams Roberts and husband, John Roberts of Hillsborough County, Florida; his brother, John H. Adams and wife, Patricia Burns Adams of Danville, California; brother-in- law John C. Bowman, Junior of Mantara, California; his sisters- in-law, Daisy Bowman Pandolfo of Tampa, Florida, Evelyn Bowman Almand of Brandon, Florida and Coretta Bowman Talbott of Clearwater, Florida; his nephews, James Douglas Roberts, wife, Dolores Domingo Roberts and son, Jason Roberts of Tampa, Florida, Scott Adams of San Francisco, California, Tim Adams of Atlanta, Georgia, Christopher Adams of Danville, California, Robert Andrews and Sandra Andrews of Franklin, North Carolina, John Bowman of Boston, Massachusetts, Les Bowman of Sacramento, California, Harry Davis of Fairbanks, Alaska, Ben Davis of Tampa, Florida, Hubert Almand, Junior of Tampa, Florida, and John Almand of Brandon, Florida; and nieces, Kathleen Roberts Walker of Sarasota and children, Jennifer Walker Abbott of Austin, Texas and Ryan Walker of Sarasota, Florida, Jane Roberts Smith, husband, Rick A. Smithand daughters, Lauren, Megan, and Julia Smith of Lutz, Florida, Amy Roberts Kimball, husband, Michael L. Kimball, and daughters, Caitlin Roberts and Allison Kimball of Pasco County, Florida, Kandi Talbott Rushing of Clearwater, Florida, Clydia Andrews Alstrom of Sarasota, Florida, Linda Andrews Henderson of Tampa, Florida, Elizabeth Hoenes Russell of Key West, Florida, Sue Almand Rice of Brandon, Florida, EveAlmand Ligori of Brandon, Florida, Ruth Almand Clark of Brandon, Florida, Jacqueline Almand Belli of Brandon, Florida, Colleen Bowman of Redlands, California, Jan Fisher Odell ofBrandon, Florida and Lucy Fisher Craig of Shelbyville, Tennessee; great-nieces, Veronica Davis of Houston, Texas and Darlene Davis of Tampa, Florida; and great-nephew, George Davis of Ocala, Florida. A native of Tampa, Mr. Adams was born September 22, 1929 at the old St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, Florida to Hubert Bruce Adams of Watertown, Wisconsin and Margarette Wolfe Adams of Tampa, Florida. He grew up inTampa on the Hillsborough River, where he first developed his passion for fishing, and in Lutz, Florida, where his family had a farm. Mr. Adams was a lifelong member of First Christian Church of Tampa, Florida serving there as a deacon. Mr. Adams was a graduate and active alumnus of Hillsborough High School. Mr. Adams graduated the University of Tampa, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. He remained anactive alumnus throughout his life. After graduating college, he was stationed in Seoul, Korea as a Sergeant in the United States Army during the Korean War. Mr. Adams was activein the air-conditioning and refrigeration industry for more than 50 years. After his military service, Mr. Adams joined the firm of H.B. Adams, Incorporated, a heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration wholesaler. He later became president and Chief Executive Officer, expanding the company to nine branches in west and central Florida. Mr. Adams was several times president of the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society and was honored by the Society. Mr. Adams was honored as Number One Small Businessman in the state of Florida in the 1980s. In his earlier years, Mr. Adams was an enthusiastic hunterof quail, geese, dove, duck, wild turkey and pheasant in Tampa, Plant City, the Everglades and Citrus County, Florida, South Dakota, Texas and Canada. Mr. Adams loved, raised and owned dogs throughout his life, including golden retrievers, pointers, setters, and hounds. An avid fisherman, Mr. Adams began this pursuit as a boy on the Hillsborough River. Mr. Adams formed close friendships with many local fishermen. He taught his son, daughter, nephews, and nieces to fish. Mr. Adams fished the Gulf of Mexico, the fjords and rivers of Alaska, the Hawaiian Pacific, the Mexican Pacific and the Baja peninsula, the Atlantic Coast and the Costa Rican Caribbean and Pacific. He built a house in Puntaleona, Costa Rica for his frequent fishing visits and made many friends in that country, foremost among them the Annunzio Del Rossis of San Jose, Costa Rica. His favorite catches included grouper, mahi-mahi, snook, pompano, sailfish, swordfish, tuna, salmon, and halibut. Mr. Adams took up the study of Spanish in high school and continued throughout his adult years in order to better communicate with his Spanish- speaking friends. Mr. Adams traveled in Alaska, New York City, Hawaii, Chicago, Michigan, Wisconsin, Vermont, Atlantic City, California, Canada, Japan, the Caribbean Islands, Mexico, Spain, France, Holland, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. His family very much enjoyed a vacation onwhich he drove through the mountains of Spain. Mr. Adams was a member of Masonic Lodge 185 Windhorst, The Scottish Rite, Egypt Shrine, and Refrigeration Service and Engineers Society. Mr. Adams was an activepatron of several organizations including Metropolitan Ministries, the Florida League of Anglers, the Tampa Chamber of Commerce, the Lee Scarfone Gallery at the University of Tampa, the American Red Cross,the Nature Conservancy, the National Wildlife Federation, the Florida Public Interest Group, Children for Hope, the Boat US Foundation, the National Parkinson Foundation, and the Special Olympics. Services for Bruce Waldo Adams will be held Wednesday, September 18, 2002 at the Blount, Curry, and Roel Funeral Home at 605 South MacDill Avenue, Tampa, Florida at Two o'clock, p.m., the Reverend Craig Wascovich officiating, with New Orleans-style Jazz music. Pallbearers will be Gene Clement, Douglas Roberts, Robert Andrews, Robert Henderson, John Bowman III, and Hubert Almand, Junior. Honorary pallbearers will be Steve Perry, Jack Pichowski, Gene McGill, E.B. Rayburn, Ben Davis, Harry L. Davis, Brian Alstrom, Scott Adams, Tim Adams, and Christopher Adams. Visitation will be Tuesday, September17, 2002 at the funeral home from Six to Eight p.m. Flowers will be accepted.