Gary H. Adams, born January 2, 1948 in Tulsa, Okla. to Howard and Geraldine Elizabeth (nee Farr) Adams passed away at the St. Louis de Greeff Hospice House August 14, 2026.
In 1956, his mother died, and over the next 3 years he and his sisters spent time in two orphanages – in Philadelphia, Penn. and in Ponca City, Okla. He was a member of the Class of 1966 of Norman High School, Norman, Okla. After graduating from high school, he attended the U. S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, N.Y. earning a Bachelor of Science Degree and a U.S. Coast Guard License as a Third Assistant Engineer in 1971. While at the Academy, he was reunited with his mother’s family in Philadelphia, with whom he remained close throughout his life. During his “Sea Year” at the Academy, he sailed on merchant ships all over the world, including Japan, Okinawa, Hong Kong, Midway Island, Eniwetok Atoll, Guam, Philippines, South Vietnam, Barbados, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Israel, Turkey, Greece, France, England, and West Germany. Upon graduation, he sailed on an oceangoing dredge for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
On April 21, 1972, he married Clita S. Jackenheimer of Hayesville, Ohio in Long Beach, N.Y. and began working on tugboats in the New York harbor area. In 1974, they moved to Norman, Okla., where he earned a Master of Library Science in 1975 from the University of Oklahoma. Later, he was the Engineering Librarian at the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Ind. In 1976, he began working as librarian with the Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio. In 1977, he and Clita welcomed their daughter Beth into the world. They moved to Middletown, Md. in 1978 where he continued federal service with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Rockville, Md. In 1981, he and Clita welcomed their son Brian into the world. He returned to sea on civilian manned logistics support and research ships of the Navy’s Military Sealift Command (MSC). He came ashore to work for MSC in Washington, D.C. in the Strategic Mobility Office 1983 – 1988. In 1989, the family moved to O’Fallon, Ill. when he took a job as a logistician for the newly formed U.S. Transportation Command at Scott Air Force Base. He then worked transportation and logistics from 1989 until his retirement in 2015. During his time at USTRANSCOM, he was awarded the Meritorious Civilian Service Medal in 1991 for his work during Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM. After those operations, he developed two Joint Chiefs of Staff field exercises to address lessons learned during the operations relating to containerization of ammunition and more effective use of containerships to move equipment during deployments for military operations. In 1997, he was given responsibility of the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) exercise program. His team worked with the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Combatant Commands around the world to plan and execute JLOTS exercises. He retired from Federal Service in 2009 after 32 years.
Gary also wrote poetry and had several poems published during and after his college years. He published a collection of his works titled The Gifted Fairy in 2023. He loved his grandkids.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 46 years, Clita, his mother Geraldine Farr Adams, father Howard Adams, his younger sister Carol Taitano (Adams); and aunts Beatrice Davis (Farr), Genevieve Cowan (Farr), and Jessie deCani (Farr), cousin Gail Flint (Davis).
Gary is survived by his daughter Beth Thomason and her husband Jeff of Edwardsville, Ill., and their daughter Stella; his son Brian and his wife Sarah of St. Louis, Mo., and their children Vanessa “Ness” and Trotter; his sister Suzanne Simmons of Flint, Texas; and cousins Laurie Flint-Brown of Philadelphia, Penn., Betsy Steel of Coral Gables, Fla., Bruce Flint Jr. of Flourtown, Penn., Doug Cowan of Chalfort, Penn., and Keith Cowan of Allentown, Penn.
Memorial donations may be made to the donor’s choice of charity or organization. Online guestbook and photo tribute are available at www.wfh-ofallon.com.
The family will receive friends 4 – 6 p.m., Friday, September 4, 2026 at Wolfersberger Funeral Home, 102 W. Washington St., O’Fallon, Ill. with a memorial service to follow at 6 p.m.
