Roll Call Tribute

Published in Dallas Morning News on Mar. 19, 2017

Richard Adams(1928 - 2017)
ADAMS, Richard McGary Age 88, died on February 23, 2017 at the Arden Courts Memory Care Community in Richardson, TX. He was born on April 30, 1928 to Evelyn and Yula Adams in Vincennes, IN. In addition to his parents, he is predeceased by his sisters Virginia Staley and Nadine Payne and his brother Conrad. He received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Mathematics and Physical Oceanography from Texas A&M University. He was a Research Scientist for 7 years at A&M before taking a leave of absence from 1957-1959 to join the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, MA as Chief of the Computation and Analysis Division, charged with providing orbit predictions for satellites that were launched by the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. He then returned to A&M for 5 years continuing his work there. From 1960-1965, he accepted a job in the U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office in Washington D.C. as Head of the Ocean Dynamics Branch. In 1966 he accepted a job at Texas Instruments as manager of Oceanographic Programs where he supervised studies in engineering, radar testing and ocean acoustics. He retired in 1991 and remained in Dallas with his family. He married the love of his life, Jane Rodgers of Pontotoc, MS in 1957. He is survived by Jane, daughter Jenny, son David, daughter-in-law Dara and six granddaughters: Jacqueline, Briana, Courtney, Carol, Vicky and Abigail. His family was the pride of his life. He belonged to Prestonwood Baptist Church for 35 years where he was a member of the Agape Sunday School Class and their weekly prayer meetings, Tellers, and the Church Choir. He loved playing ping pong, bridge and never gave up his favorite pastime, lawn mowing, until he was 84 years old.