William R. Adams M.D.

1936 - 2020

William R Adams MD
February 20, 1936 ~ August 31, 2020
William Roy Adams MD, Born to Lucille & William Wallace Adams in Salt Lake City. Survived by his wife & sweetheart of 47 years, Diane Adams, as well as his children, grands, great grands & dogs. As we navigate the vast & empty spaces he filled, we find comfort in the memories of his profound & full life. He was a deeply present husband, father, papa, dogooder, lifelong Democrat, world-traveler, feminist, ally, doctor, pilot, writer, seamster, photographer, yogi, teacher, advocate & lover of animals. Those who had the pleasure of knowing Bill, know that he did all things with great care. Growing up in a big family, his humble beginnings taught him about hard work & compassion. His determination & brilliance guided him through medical school, graduating from George Washington University in 1962, where he became a successful OBGYN. Over this period, he honorably served as a corporal in the US Marine Corps. An adventurous heart, he was a member of the civil air patrol & traveled the globe for both humanitarian & personal experiences. It was of utmost importance to share his services & resources with those less fortunate; giving his time & medical care to patients at Planned Parenthood & the 4th street clinic, helping our local homeless population. After retirement, he gave his time to low-income middle schools as a math tutor. He loved the Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel & never turned down an opportunity to dance with the love of his life, Diane. He often wrote letters to the editor in the SL Trib, getting into intelligent discussions about politics & social injustices of the world. He had a special way with words & was wickedly clever in his delivery. To have a Papa like ours, meant receiving witty but heartfelt texts & emails. It meant visits to museums & waiting for him to read every single word of every single exhibit. A sponge for information, he never quit learning & was the most tech-savvy senior citizen that any of us had ever known. Animals & children intuitively knew that he was one of the "good ones", so there was always a dog (or 3) in his lap. We'll miss his wild morning-hair & the kindness in his eyes. We won't forget to use our voices to speak up for the disenfranchised, just like Papa did. The smell of coffee & fresh newspaper. Sudoku & puzzles of all kinds. Gummy bears & solitaire. NPR & spy novels. Oh, what we wouldn't give to hear him say: "hello, sunshine" again. If every child had a patient papa like ours, the world would be a better place, he is sorely missed.
A warm thank-you to Encompass Home Health for giving the best possible care in those final days.
We are honoring his wishes by celebrating his life in private & instead of flowers, he would want you to get out & VOTE!