Robert Carrol Adams

Born in Clinton, Missouri, Robert grew up on a farm where he learned early the value of hard work, responsibility, and doing things the right way, even when no one was watching. As a model Boy Scout, and later a volunteer forestry surveyor and firefighter, he developed a deep respect for the land, for service, and for quietly stepping up when there was work to be done.

After serving as a Marine, Robert dedicated his life to teaching and coaching. From 1967 to 2011, he taught math and science and coached track, cross-country, basketball, football, and wrestling. Generations of students knew him as “Coach Adams” — a steady, demanding, and deeply fair presence who expected their best and believed they had it in them. For a time in the 1980s, he applied his sharp mind and technical skills at Martin Marietta, contributing to the Space Shuttle and Strategic Defense Initiative (“Star Wars”) programs, before returning to the classroom that had always felt like home.

Robert’s life took him from Missouri to Colorado in 1971, with chapters written in Tennessee and again in Missouri along the way. Though, no matter where he lived, he carried the same core qualities: self‑reliance, quiet strength, and a deep sense of duty. He was a man who never needed to raise his voice; his stature, calm presence, and consistency spoke for him. Those who knew him understood that when Robert gave his word, it could be trusted; and when he chose to speak, those words were said for a reason.

At the center of his life was his family. Robert shared 58 years of marriage with his wife, Janet, walking beside her through every season of life. He was a devoted father to his son, Brian Scott Adams, taking pride not only in his accomplishments, but in the kind of person he became.

Robert is survived by his wife, Janet Adams, and his son, Brian Scott Adams, daughter-in-law, Nichole Adams and his four granddaughters, Chloe Adams Kertesz, Corral Adams, Corrine Adams, and Camden Adams. They, along with the many students, athletes, colleagues, and friends whose lives he touched, carry forward the lessons he embodied: work hard, stand steady, and let your actions speak louder than your words.