Thomas Burton Adams Jr.

Tom graduated from Quincy High School and later received a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Iowa State College in 1942. Along the way he was an Eagle Scout, a member of Phi Gamma Delta, and became a member of American Society of Mechanical Engineers. During World War II he served as a radar technician for the Navy.

He had a keen mind for problem-solving and designing. With those abilities, and with his degree, Tom worked as an engineer for various John Deere companies for over 39 years. Many of those years he worked out of Los Angeles, but he also worked out of John Deere locations in Waterloo, Iowa, and Moline, Illinois. Quite often Tom would be working out in the fields of some remote farm in the South, the Mid-West, or California. He was the perfect person to be out there, working and chatting with the farmers as together they tested new equipment designs. Because of that interaction, and his own problem-solving abilities, Tom received patents for agricultural equipment disc and wheel designs.

Darlene “Boo” Gurney captured Tom’s eye and they were married May 15, 1948 in Long Beach, CA. Together they raised four sons in their home in Lakewood, CA. Fortunately for Tom and Darlene, they were able to spend many holidays together with Tom’s sister, Ruth, and her family in Arcadia, CA. In 1969, the Los Angeles John Deere Killefer plant closed and Tom and Darlene packed up the brood and relocated to Moline, Illinois. In Moline, Tom worked at the John Deere Plow Planter Works until his retirement in 1982.

Shortly after retirement, Tom and Darlene moved to Sunland Village in Mesa, Arizona. They tooled around in their “mandatory” golf cart and became very active in the community. Tom eventually became president of the Sunland Village Community Association and absolutely loved chatting with the residents, neighbors, and visitors. He became a fixture at morning “chat and chews.” Much too soon, his wife and beloved companion of 52 years, Darlene, passed in 2000. Despite his grief from losing her, a severe car accident, and a few ailments, Tom persevered with the help of family and several very close friends. He even recaptured his “cruising” spirit, and treated family on several occasions to be his cruising shipmates.

Unfortunately, time and failing health finally caught up with Tom on April 13, 2011. He passed at age 90 with close friends and his beloved four sons at his bedside. He is survived by his elder sister, Ruth, and by all of his four sons: Bruce, Stephen, Douglas, and Keith. 12 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren also survive him.

Bottom line: Tom was an intelligent, honest, personable man, but most of all a loving husband and devoted father.

Arrangements under the direction of Mariposa Gardens Memorial Park and Funeral Care, Mesa, AZ.