Adam Wetherbee Childs

Adam Wetherbee Childs, 22, of Yarmouthport and Rochester, New York, died suddenly and unexpectedly on Thursday Feb. 10, 2011 at his residence in Rochester, NY. He was a senior at Rochester Institute of Technology. Adam was the loving son of Elliot (Lee) and JoAnne Childs of Yarmouthport.

Adam was born at Cape Cod Hospital on November 30, 1988. He graduated from Station Avenue Elementary School in 1999 and from Cape Cod Academy in 2007. As a youngster, Adam loved to play basketball, football, and baseball with his father. Always yearning to try more sports he became involved with squash and eventually developed a love of tennis. Many days were happily spent on the courts at the Mid Cape Racquet Club practicing his form and serve with his Dad. He also played soccer with the Yarmouth Youth Soccer League.

Growing up in Dennis, Adam and his Mom always found time between sports to enjoy the wonders of the Cape. Endless walks on the beaches and fishing on Cape Cod Bay gave Adam a strong sense of belonging to these white sandy shores.

Adam and his Mom and Dad made yearly trips to Lake Placid to ski and snowboard. When Adam was 10 years old, he and his Mom took an extended trip to Europe visiting England, Scotland, France, Italy and Switzerland. Adam said that of all the countries, he enjoyed Switzerland the most.

In 1995, Adam moved with his Mom and Dad to a brand new house in Salt Works Cove in Yarmouthport. While at Cape Cod Academy, Adam joined the varsity tennis team as a freshman. He started out by playing second doubles and in his junior and senior year, he and his partner, Cooper Fuller, played first doubles. In their senior year they were almost undefeated, losing only one match. They were voted to the Cape Cod Times Cape and Islands All Star Tennis Team. In 2006 Adam was awarded the Boys Varsity Tennis Coach's Award. In 2007 the coachs' Four Star Award was presented to Adam recognizing his four years of Team spirit, Leadership, Coachability and Talent.

Adam was also very much involved with music. He played keyboards, saxophone, drums, and guitar. At Cape Cod Academy he co-led, with best friend, Jamie Hardy, a rock band called Border Bleach. And at RIT he co-led another rock band, with roommate and great friend Bob De Witte, called L-Block.

Adam was an excellent photographer. He worked for many rock bands in the Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse area, and even in Boston, photographing and recording these bands at rock concerts where they were performing. He owned his own company, Disco Light Productions. Examples of his work can be seen at flickr.com/adamchilds and at vimeo.com/adamchilds.

After graduating from Cape Cod Academy, Adam enrolled at RIT with a major in imaging science. After a year of imaging science, Adam switched his major to new media publishing. Adam brought some Cape Cod sand in his shoes to the shores of Lake Ontario and Lake Ontario is the better for it.

Adam is predeceased by his paternal grandparents, Elliot and Helen Childs of Wellesley, MA. He is survived by his maternal grandparents, Charles and Jane Hajko of Worcester, MA; his uncle, Steven Hajko and Missy of Brimfield, MA; his aunt Patricia Tucchio and Edward of Stonington, CT, and several cousins. Adam is also predeceased by his golden retrievers Buddy and Miles, and is survived by his current golden, Boston. Adam is a also survived by roommate and friend Ethan Fogg of Rochester, NY and several other roommates and friends at RIT. Adam is also survived by the love of his life and future fiancé, Clare French of East Rochester, NY. To quote some of Clare's eloquent comments on Adam's Facebook page; "You complete me. You can make me smile even when I'm in my worst mood. It's only in your arms that I forget all my troubles and I have complete happiness. You're the only one that can fill that gap in my heart, the space that has come to know you, that place that knows you're the only one for me, that gap that will accept no one but you." "Don't wait for the one you can live with, wait for the one you can't live without." And a final quote and thought from Clare that all of us that survive Adam share; You are our heart and soul and we will love you for eternity."

Friends and relatives may call at the Hallett Funeral Home, 273 Station Ave., South Yarmouth, MA on Friday, February 18, 2011 from 4-7 P.M. A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, February 19, 2011 at 10:30 A.M. at Our Lady of the Cape Church, Stoney Brook Rd., Brewster, MA. Contributions in Adam's memory may be made to the Adam W. Childs Memorial Scholarship at RIT, Office of Development, 116 Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623.