William Peter Adams Jr.'s Obituary
In Loving Memory of William P. Adams, Jr.
William P. Adams Jr., 77, died peacefully surrounded by family Wednesday, November 20, 2024, in Piedmont, California. Will was born June 1, 1947 in Oakland, California to William and Rose Mary Adams, the second born of 6 children. His beloved brother Stephan Adamczyk and sister-In-Law Patricia preceded him in death.
Will was raised in Richmond, CA. He enjoyed a 45-year career as an Architect and Planner in the San Francisco Bay Area. His work took him to projects all over the US, including Hawaii and Alaska, and internationally in Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, the Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Korea, China, Dubai, and Morocco. He enjoyed making presentations to diverse groups, (including elementary and high school classes) serving on several design review boards in both Colorado and California, and taking time to raise public awareness about the built environment. He was passionate about teaching others the importance of designing places that facilitate and encourage community. Will authored “The Alphabet of Architecture - a primer on the built environment” (2010), a cherished book filled with his drawings and immense knowledge. He had a love of hand drawings which had been a tool to design projects of many different types and sizes over his career.
A former colleague writes, “We all benefited from his immense talent, his compassion and empathy, his unwavering integrity…He had a profound influence producing innovative design solutions to complex problems that were illustrated with clarity and beauty. Much of his design philosophy and approach lives on today. I’m a better professional from knowing and working with him, and I know I’ve been enriched by his admirable qualities as a person…”
Will had a memorable, special way he connected with people. His deep listening skills promoted wise questions that would guide someone to their own conclusions. He never criticized, always encouraged, respecting others thoughts without judgement. He had a talent of recognizing the different abilities within a person, fostering their growth. Ultimately, he had a way of making a person feel seen. He was a true friend and touched every moment with kindness. He even had a special touch with animals, his family cats giving him kisses and birds finding sanctuary in the garden.
Will was an incredibly humorous man who filled every gathering with laughter. As a child he would love to play pranks on his brothers, leaving them hanging awhile, finally all would join in with a laugh. Sometimes Will’s infectious humor was fabulously dry, other times highlighting the absurdity of things. He was a closet Three Stooges fan but hid it for career reasons!
Excelling in high school, Will lettered in baseball, tennis, and basketball, and was voted Class President. He studied Latin, which assisted his later mastering of the German and Spanish languages. He attended USC on full academic and athletic scholarship (tennis), transferring to UC Berkeley to complete his Bachelor of Architecture. Will and Linda enjoyed skiing, sailing, traveling, snorkeling, crossword puzzles and ballroom and folk dancing together. Will also enjoyed guest lecturing, carpentry work, scuba diving (certified), soccer coaching and refereeing for Piedmont teams, starting with his daughter’s team.
In October 2019, he walked 165 miles of the famous pilgrimage trail, El Camino de Santiago, Spain, from Astorga (circa de León) to Santiago de Compostela. He carried only a few carefully selected Prisma pencils, yet still filled an entire sketchbook. At one point on the trail, Will could not stop thinking about a special moment he saw. He backtracked two miles to revisit that perfect spot and sketched a magical moment which was beautiful in its simplicity.
Will was active in the Piedmont Community Church, serving as President, Chairman of Deacons, and Team Leader for Youth Trips to Mexico, where he resourcefully procured non-electric tools for the group’s rural
home construction projects. He also contributed artwork for various Church projects, and taught Sunday School for many years.
Piedmont held a special place in Will’s heart. He was an avid neighborhood walker, and authored 76 bi-monthly “Walking Piedmont” columns in the local newspaper that discussed and promoted walkability and aesthetic sensibilities and encouraged a sense of community among his neighbors.
In 2018, Will shared a favorite poem. No doubt, he lived a life true to every word.
She said, “I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one. I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn. I’ve learned that people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. – Maya Angelou
Will Adams lived a life filled with the meaning of love. Our beloved Will, you are cherished and will be profoundly missed.
Will is survived by his wife Linda Adams, daughter Alissa, granddaughter Chelsea Rose and son-in-law Christopher (“Chris”) Richardson. He is also survived by his sister Catherine Adams Koster (Steve) and brothers Michael (“Mike”) Adams, Mark Adams (Vanessa), and Tony Adams (Virginia). Will was a cherished uncle to his nieces and nephews Andrea, Amanda, Carly, Corby, Tom, Jesse, Kailey, Fae, Theo, Geordie, Ronan, Rory, Julie, Cheryl and Dan. On learning of his passing one niece wrote “Losing someone so pivotal to our family has been truly difficult. Uncle Will had a quiet and steady manner. He was insightful, expressive and truly curious about us as individuals…”
A special thank-you to dear friends Elizabeth Brady and Inna Rand for their kind assistance with these memories.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, March 8th, 1-3:30PM, at Piedmont Community Church. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Piedmont Community Church in Will’s name.
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