Carl John Adams Sr. passed away peacefully at age 94 on Friday, Aug. 22, 2014 at Messenger House on Bainbridge Island.

Born on June 5, 1920 in Fairfield, Iowa, he grew up in Keokuk. He was the son of Carl Vincent Adams (the “Irishman”) and Ruth Ireland.

On graduation from high school in Keokuk at 17 years old, to fulfill a life-long desire, he hitchhiked to Des Moines to enlist in the Navy. After boot camp he was assigned to Machinist Mate School and then joined the crew of the Battle Ship New York (BB-34) in the Mediterranean, where he spent the next three years with the Atlantic fleet.

He was selected from the fleet to attend the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis and graduated as an Ensign with the class of 1944. Due to the war, the class of 1944 graduation was accelerated and he left the academy in 1943 to join the Pacific fleet.

During the war, he served as weapons officer aboard the USS Harrison (DD-573) which participated in operations at Marcus, Wake and Tarawa Islands before departing for duty to the Solomon Islands and later, the Marshall Islands. Later in the war, the ship participated in operations in the Marianna’s and in the Philippine Sea, and supported the landings at Iwo Jima.

Lieutenant Adams later served aboard the newly-commissioned Leonard F. Mason (DD–852) during shakedowns in the Caribbean and assignment to the Pacific fleet.

Lieutenant Adams finished his career with the Navy in Washington, D.C., where he met and married Isabelle Patricia (Pat) Sharp in 1946, who was serving as a Navy Wave.

Carl and Pat were married for 57 years when Pat passed away on Bainbridge Island on Aug. 30, 2003.

Carl and Pat lived in Burlington, Iowa from 1954 to 1972 where their two sons, Richard and Carl Jr. attended elementary and high school. They were devout Catholics and participated actively in church and community activities. Carl was a professional engineer and a lifetime member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Prior to moving to Burlington, he worked for Springfield Boiler Company in Springfield, Illinois and Wickes Boiler Company in Saginaw, Michigan. In Burlington, he served as chief engineer at the Murray Iron Works.

In 1972, Carl and Pat left Burlington for Lacrosse, Wisconsin where he joined the Trane Corporation. He later finished his engineering career as Vice President of Engineering at The Nebraska Boiler Company in Lincoln, Nebraska.

On his retirement in 1986, Carl and Pat moved to Washington state and lived in Port Townsend for 16 years before moving to Bainbridge Island.

Carl was known as a kind and gentle man. He loved and followed all sports. He retained his well-known sense of humor up until the last day of his life. He will be missed by all who knew him.

Besides his wife, he was preceded in death by his two sisters, Jo Ann (Rosa) and Mary Lou (Quick).

Survivors include his two sons, Carl John Adams Jr. of Bainbridge Island and Richard Sharp Adams of Kingston; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Burial will be at U.S. Naval Academy Columbarium in Annapolis, Maryland, where he will rejoin Pat who was interred there in 2003.