Obituary of Robert James Gordon Adams
Robert James Gordon Adams (1930-2022) On October 21, 2022, Robert James Gordon Adams, passed away peacefully, aged 91 at Amica Riverside in Windsor. He was predeceased in 1999 by wife Margaret. Bob was born in Guelph, Ontario on December 6th, 1930. He grew up in Milton, Ontario, and graduated from the Royal Military College in Kingston in 1954. On graduation, Bob married Margaret and moved to Vancouver to complete his electrical engineering degree. This was followed by entry to the Signal Corps and a tour of duty in the Korean War in 1955. Throughout his life and right up to his passing, Bob was very proud of his service and his country’s role, participating in many Korean Canadian veteran functions. After the war, Bob served in a variety of roles, including commander of a motorcycle stunt team, liaison officer at a US missile base in Arizona, commander of a Signal Corp airborne squadron in Petawawa, working on the first Canadian computer, and for 10 years, as Leader of a joint working group of NATO nations in Brussels, charged with the engineering and procurement of military command, control and communications systems. Meanwhile, Margaret had completed her nursing degree in Kingston and together, they found time to produce, in five years, three boys who certainly kept them busy. The years were happy ones, dedicated to family adventures, travel, sport and recreation. Bob loved sailing and exploring the world, and after his retirement he went on many adventures, often with his companion Liz MacDonald. Bob was very active in his community in Kingston, Ontario where he lived his retired life. He served on the Board of the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes, sailed the Caribbean, taught seniors how to use computers, and organized alumni events at RMC and Vimy HQ. He could often be found at the Kingston Marina working on his boat Penina (“precious stone”). A true engineer, Bob relished the challenge of getting his hands dirty whenever his darling Penina needed repairs. He was also an expert woodworker and craftsman, and his unique bowls, puzzles, and bric-a-brac were admired and coveted by family and grandchildren. “Cap’n Bob” will be greatly missed by his three sons and their wives: Rob and Linda, Peter and Claudia and Jeff and Patti; his seven grandchildren, Katrina, Mareike, Victoria, Rachel, Sam, Joe and Claire, and his companion Liz. Bob had a great love for family and took pride in supporting his grandchildren in all their accomplishments. He will be remembered as a man with a larger-than-life personality full of colorful stories, a song for every occasion, a love for adventure, a passion for learning and a generous spirit. We would like to sincerely thank the staff at Amica Riverside for the care they have provided to Bob during his last months of life. Arrangements entrusted to SIMPLE CHOICE CREMATION CENTRE, 519-254-2585. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.simplechoicecremation.ca