James T. Adams

Adams, James T. "Jim" Age 55, of Roseville Lived courageously with ALS-FTD, and passed away at home on Aug. 18, 2008, lovingly cared for by his wife and son. True to character, he maintained the glint in his eye for family and friends throughout the course of the diseases. He was born Nov. 19, 1952, in Bronxville, NY, and grew up in West Lafayette, IN. After graduating from Purdue University and the Wharton School of Business, he worked at Proctor and Gamble on Staten Island and at Cummings in Indiana. In 1980 he joined Medtronic, Inc., holding management positions in finance and sales and customer support during his 27-year career. He spearheaded the development of Sales Force Automation for Medtronic and, as an innovator, he implemented new technologies and training to elevate the success of his colleagues. Jim thrived on providing the Medtronic sales force with tools to make their jobs easier. In this tribute to Jim, Medtronic colleagues captured his essence. "Jim gave meaning to the words: LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST AND DO IT HILARIOUSLY. To have someone like him believe in you, promote you, laugh with you and AT you was the ultimate gift. That is how we will remember our friend." He loved running 10K races, biking in Vermont, snowshoeing on the North Shore, and spending summer vacations at the family cabin in Ontario. He was passionate about travel in Europe, dogs, music, photography, and Big Ten football. He is survived by his wife, Alberta; son, Jonathan; and brother, Michael (Beth) of Bloomington, IL. He was preceded in death by parents Richard T. and Martha O. Adams. A celebration of his life will be held Monday, August 25, at Lutheran Church of Christ the Redeemer, 5440 Penn Ave. S. Mpls. at 6:30pm. Memorials preferred to ALS Association and the MDA-ALS Association.