Born May 30, 1927 to parents Patrick and Helen (Purdy) Adams in East Orange, New Jersey. He grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey and spent much of his adult life there. Heman served in the Navy 1945-1946.
Heman received a Bachelor degree from Alfred University and Masters and Doctoral degrees from Cornell University. He met Patricia Nutt while at Cornell. They married in 1955 and had two children, Patrick and Tamara. After completing his studies, Heman taught biology and zoology as a Professor first at Glenville State College and later at Jersey City State College where he ended his career working in the college administration. In 1996 Heman moved with his wife and daughter to Fort Collins, Colorado to be closer to his son. Heman was soft-spoken and reticent in nature but he greatly enjoyed sharing his knowledge with others. He was an avid bird-watcher and amateur botanist. He enjoyed puzzles of all kinds but especially crosswords and Sudoku. Heman volunteered time to many groups: Boy Scouts, Garden Club of Maplewood, Audubon Society, Friends of the Library (Maplewood and Fort Collins).
Heman is preceded in death by his parents Patrick and Helen (Purdy) Adams and his three sisters Grace Palm, Helen Meyer, and Patricia Hampsen. He is survived by his wife of 64 years Patricia Nutt Adams and his children Tamara Adams and Patrick (Rick) Adams and wife Sarah Lucio-Adams.
A memorial service will be held at Allnutt Funeral Service, 650 W Drake Rd, Fort Collins at 2:00 PM on Tuesday, January 8, 2019.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that a memorial contribution be made to the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology in care of Allnutt Funeral Service, 650 W Drake Road, Fort Collins, CO 80526.
Special thanks to the staff of Poudre Valley Hospital for their considerate care of Heman in his final days.
