Our wonderful husband and father, Stephen James Adams, received his wings on Friday, March 25, 2022.   We have never experienced such profound sadness as we felt that day.

Steve was born to two wonderful parents, James and Julia (Grandinetti) Adams on September 24, 1951, in Spokane.  He was their first and only child, but they loved him as if the love they would have given to ten children was all saved just for him.

Steve and his parents had the good fortune to have property and a lake home at Rockford Bay at Coeur d'Alene Lake.  The years he spent growing up during summers and on weekends there instilled in him a life-long love of the beautiful lake and surrounding land.  As an adult with his own family, Rockford Bay continued to call to him.  We were able to purchase a beautiful piece of property in the Bay ~ Steve was so proud!  He built a beautiful home for us over the next year where he loved to entertain family and friends.

Dad attended Field Elementary, Glover Jr. High, and graduated from Shadle Park High School in 1969.  As a young middle school student, he was interested in becoming a drummer.  His parents enrolled Steve in drum lessons with Mr. Howie Robbins, who founded the Percussionauts.  Steve eventually became a member of the esteemed team and loved every minute of the incredibly disciplined traditional style of drumming.  This rhythm was so instilled in him, it ran through his blood.  Countless times, he would be tapping on his knee, the table, or any available surface the rudiments of his craft.  Even in the last days of his life here on earth, we would find him tapping in perfect syncopation to some riff he had known in the early days and was buried deep in his musical memory.

Music was not his only passion.  Steve absolutely loved picking up a hammer and nails, saw, etc. and building whatever his next project was.  It might be adding a deck and slider to a bedroom, finishing a basement, or building an attached garage to our home.  His carpentry was absolute perfection ~ every measurement had to be "on the bubble!"

Steve loved inviting family and friends to our home on holidays or anytime "just because."  He would spend the day prior making a wonderful sauce, incredible meatballs, and homemade raviolis or gnocchi using recipes passed on from his Grandma Grandinetti, and taught to him by his mom, "Babe."

Steve's first job was operating a silk-screen machine at a local decal manufacturing company, Lindgren Turner.  His next venture was learning the lock and key industry as a locksmith for Spokane Safe and Lock Company.  Another wonderful opportunity as a locksmith became available, and he was hired with Spokane Public Schools, where he worked for 32 years.  He was hired as one of only 2 locksmiths for the district ~ an incredible job when you consider all of the door locks, locker combinations, safes and vaults housed within the district buildings!  He retired from the district as the Carpenter Foreman in 2007.

Our Steve was, unfortunately, stricken with Alzheimers Disease in January of 2017.  During that time, he was a participant in two clinical trials for a drug to treat Alzheimers, which, currently, has no cure.  Steve was given so much hope from his neurologist, Dr. David Greeley, as well as the entire research team at Northwest Neurological.  We cannot thank Dr. Greeley and his team enough for the opportunity they gave to Steve, but, more importantly, the incredible hope and kindness they showed all of us.  They made us feel like family!

We want to express our heartfelt thanks to Father Stan Malnar, who has supported Steve and our family during the past 2 years.  His gentle, prayerful approach has brought us much peace during this difficult time.

We would also like to thank the incredible staff at Horizon Hospice who were so wonderful to Steve and our family during his final months with us.  Thanks to their wonderful assistance, whenever we needed it, we were able to keep Steve at home with us until God called him home.

Steve was pre-deceased by his parents, Jim and Julia Adams.  He is survived by Linda, his wife of 49 years and his son, Jeremy, as well as his grandsons, Connor, Colton, and Caden Adams.  He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Nancy Kittilstved and her husband, Jack, and sister-in-law, Janet Roys and her husband, John.  Steve also leaves behind several cousins, nieces and nephews.

If you desire, you may make contributions to the Alzheimer's Association at www.act.alz.org or to any charity of your choice.