May 18, 1936 – September 14, 2020 (age 84)
Rex D. Adams was born on May 18, 1936, in Provo, Utah to John Evans Adams and Harriet Young Adams and was raised in Orem, Utah. He passed away peacefully on September 14, 2020, from natural causes.
In his growing up years, his grandpa lived next door and had an old barn. One of the neighbors built a basketball hoop on the barn for Rex to shoot baskets. That was his all-time favorite sport and it served him well. He was named the MVP in his senior year by all his teammates. After high school, he went to serve in the army during the Korean war with his cousin Melvin and a good friend Lewis. Because he could type and because he could play good basketball, he got the office assignment in the Sargent Supply School at Fort Ord for 8 weeks after basic training so he could be part of the basketball team.
After being honorably discharged in June of 1956, he returned home to drive a dump truck in Castle Gate, Utah, where he found a team to play with in Helper, Utah. After winning the league, they played in a tournament at Carbon Junior College where the college coach saw him and offered him a scholarship. Dad didn’t love the school part of things, but he LOVED the basketball!
One of his teammates lined him up on a blind date with June Humphrey. He was smitten and they were soon engaged to be married on March 29, 1958 and later sealed in the Manti Temple. Rex finished the school year and played basketball and was selected to the First Team All-Conference. But with a new wife and a child on the way and a manager at Safeway who loved basketball, he quit school and went to work in the produce department of Safeway. He worked for Safeway for several years and that job took him to Brigham City, Utah.
As his family grew, he wanted to spend more time with them so he changed jobs and started work at Thiokol in 1966 and decided that he needed to finish school. After 7 years at Weber State, he completed his degree in Business Administration with the demands of a wife, 4 children and a full-time job. (That was the hard way!)
Health conditions dictated a change in his activity to golf. He retired in September, 1992. Mom retired from the bank in 1994 and the two of them started to golf together and travel with friends. They enjoyed many fun and memorable trips with the Fullmer’s and with the Searle’s.
Together they served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Tampa, Florida, worked at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building for 7 years and served in the Ogden and Brigham City temples for several years. Many lasting friendships were made along the way.
We want to thank the many friends and neighbors throughout the years and the caregivers at Barton Creek for the past 4 years for the caring and compassionate service the was rendered to us.
Rex is survived by the love of his life June, Becky (Ken), Kline (Candace), Kyle (Miyuki) and Brett (Brenda), 12 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. We love you Dad and thank you for being who you are and the example you have been to us throughout your life well lived! Love you forever!
A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, September 19, 2020, at 2:00pm at the Gillies Funeral Chapel located in Brigham City at 634 East 200 South, Brigham City, Utah.
Click this link the day of the service to view Rex’s live stream: https://my.gather.app/remember/rex-adams
Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at Gillies Funeral Chapel.