Stephen Arthur Adams, age 60, died unexpectedly from a heart attack on Saturday, November 23, 2019.
Steve was born the eighth of twelve children on March 5, 1959, in Fargo, North Dakota to Arza Paul and Ruth Wilson Adams. Soon after, his family moved to Holladay, Utah, where he was raised. While attending Olympus Jr. High and Olympus High schools, Steve played football, basketball, and volleyball, trumpeted in a mariachi band, and was elected to student senate. Steve was a hard worker and held a variety of jobs as a teenager, including hauling sacks of flour at Salt Lake Flour Mill, running cars at a local car dealership, and gophering for Rubber Engineering. His summers at the Adams Turkey Ranch in Cedar Hills, however, were what he remembered most fondly. He loved working there with his grandpa, Arza, and his brothers. It was around this time that Steve joined the Civil Air Patrol and developed his love of flying. This passion shaped the course of his career.
Steve served in the US Air Force from 1983-89 and the Utah Air National Guard from 1991-2006. He flew on the KC-135 as navigator. In fact, on September 11, 2001, it was on this tanker aircraft that he flew support missions for U.S. military aircraft while most other planes were grounded. Steve served in many countries including Japan, Korea, China, Australia, Guam, Italy, Turkey, Crete, Germany, and many parts of the U.S. including Alaska. He retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Outside of the military, Steve worked at Alliant Techsystems. Eager to pursue more knowledge, Steve learned a wide variety of computer networking protocols and received numerous professional certifications, including Cisco CCIE. This allowed him to create a career in computer networking. Besides teaching courses in these areas, Steve harnessed his knowledge to form a network consulting firm, Adams Solutions, Inc. Over the past fifteen years, the company contracted primarily with the Department of Defense.
Steve loved learning. Having earned a full-tuition scholarship, he completed a BA in Chemistry at BYU. While actively serving in the military, Steve earned a Master's of Science in Systems Management from USC. He also served a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Hamburg, Germany Mission. Part of his time was spent in West Berlin at the height of the Cold War.
In his personal life, Steve enjoyed woodworking, camping, fishing, hunting, reading, traveling, and cooking. Most of all, he enjoyed spending time with his family. Steve readily served in his church and neighborhood. He was always the first to notice when someone was in need and the first to volunteer to help. He had a kind and generous heart. Steve was always upbeat, cheery, and quick to laugh.
Steve married Michele Sadler in the Salt Lake temple on December 18, 1980. They raised three children together and have six grandchildren. Steve is survived by his wife, Michele; children, Joshua (Amy), Jacob (Brenna), and Alison Tensmeyer (Stephen); 6 grandchildren; and siblings Marty DeBloois, Wilson, Ruth Ann LeBaron, Mary Mahoney, John, Harold, Bob, Bruce, Andrea Moesser, and Dan.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, November 30, 11 a.m. at the Draper Meadows Stake Center, 573 E 13800 S, Draper. Family and friends may visit the family at the Larkin Mortuary, 1950 E Dimple Dell Road (10600 S), Sandy, Friday, Nov. 29th, 2019 from 6-8 pm, and on Saturday, 9:30-10:45 am at the church. Burial with full military honors will follow at Larkin Sunset Gardens.
