Obituary of John Reginald Adams

John Reginald Adams died on September 5, 2021 at the age of 81, after a long and valiant battle with Alzheimer’s disease. John was born on the southern coast of England in 1940. He went to boarding school, and later graduated from the University of London with a degree in chemical engineering. He emigrated to Canada in 1966 and settled in Sarnia, Ontario, where he worked for Polysar, a synthetic rubber and plastics plant. John met his wife Pat in 1969 and they were married in 1970, with three sons soon to follow. After earning his MBA, he moved the family to Houston in 1988, to become President of Chemical Research & Licensing (CR&L), a company that made catalysts for gasoline refinement. John’s work with catalytic distillation made cleaner burning gasoline and removed the sulfur from diesel fuel. The company was eventually purchased by Shell Oil Company. For his job, John traveled all over the world to sell these award winning technologies and speak at conferences. John was a family man first, and above all, loved his wife and sons. In his leisure time, he was an avid golfer and competitive sailor, and enjoyed gardening and birdwatching. He was also active in his church with outreach, and started a new chapter of Habitat for Humanity in Texas. John and Pat retired in 2006 to the Pacific Northwest to be closer to family. After moving to Salem, Oregon, John joined the City Club, the Rotary Club, and the local golf club, and spent countless hours working in the garden. They later moved to Ridgefield, Washington to live with family. John was well loved, and will be dearly missed. He will be remembered for his keen mind, his sense of humor, his good advice, and his pride in his family. John is survived by his wife Pat; his oldest son Gareth, his wife Heidi, and their children Bryce and Sami; his middle son David; and his youngest son Alan, his wife Jody, and their daughter Aderyn. He is also survived by his sisters, Joan Gardiner and Mary Cummins. He is preceded in death by his parents Reginald and Daisy Adams, and his brother Peter Adams. Thank you to Bonaventure of Vancouver, Peace Health Hospice, Home Instead, Visiting Angels, and Robin Brady for their care in John’s final months. To honor John’s life and legacy, a small graveside funeral service will be held at Ridgefield Cemetery (955 Cemetery Rd) on Saturday, September 18 at 11:00 a.m. – please wear a mask. There will be an outdoor lunch reception at Pat’s house to follow.