Anthony ADAMS Jr.

February 10, 1943 - August 30, 2025

Spokane Valley - Anthony M. Adams, Jr., "Tony," passed away August 30, 2025. He is survived by his wife, Judy (Oke) Adams; sister, Marge Adams, Houston, TX; and son, Chris Adams, Nederland, TX. Tony was born February 10, 1943, in Chicago, IL.

Tony enjoyed the challenges during his lifetime career at Johnson's Flight Center in Houston and being a part of historical events. He received several awards in Flight Software Communication and Safety Issues during the Space Shuttle and Apollo Missions.

A few of several Awards include: "Taking Charge of Safety in a Safe Environment" Award; Communicator Development Award; "Silver Snoopy" Award for Flight Safety and Mission Success, presented to Tony by Astronaut, Ken Reightler.

Tony coached Little League Baseball and loved fishing with his son, Chris, and his fisherman friends. After retiring from United Space Alliance in 2011, Tony volunteered and was responsible as Vice President of Restoration for restoring the 100-year-old USS Battleship Texas, Volunteer Fire Chief for Nassau Bay. He volunteered to teach Texas Hunter Education, volunteered at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Tony remembers, at a young age, playing in the snow in Chicago. His dad was in the Air Force and moved his family to Sacramento, CA. Later, the family moved to Pasadena, TX. He enjoyed his dad coaching Little League Baseball. As a teenager, Tony managed three paper routes with a large number of subscribers. He was happy and thankful he had a motorbike. After he graduated from high school, he had a job as a pin setter at a local bowling alley. He tells how he had to move . . . very fast. He joined the Navy and had a great experience being involved in another historical event of 1964. He served on the USS Bainbridge, (CGN-9) one of three ships, that were the First Circumnavigation of the world by nuclear-powered surface warships. The three ships sailed around the world in 65 days, not stopping for provisions. That experience was the very beginning of his love for cruising!

Retirement gave him the time of his life! He ventured out on "real" cruise ships many times and was able to enjoy visiting several countries and had leisure time to enjoy touring ports.

Tony met Judy Oke, from Port Orchard, WA, on a cruise in May 2014. A year later, Tony planned their wedding and married Judy on the bow of the 100-year-old USS Battleship Texas, anchored in Houston, TX. For their honeymoon, he surprised her with a river cruise, the Danube, the Rhine, and the Main. Tony enjoyed taking Judy on cruises and every January he would book a cruise . . . until COVID put an end to their cruising plans for a World Voyage in 2021! It would have been a second "circumnavigation" of the world for Tony!