Here is John's obituary, posted by Elmdea:
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John P. Adams, Jr. (69) of Berkeley Springs, WV, died peacefully at home on September 20, 2019, after a long and painful journey with cancer. He was born February 16, 1950, the son of Nancy Ellen Adams (nee Murphy) and Dr. John Pletch Adams, Sr. He is survived by his father; his wife, Elmdea; his three children: Michael Connor; Julia K (Katie); and Christopher Alexander; and two grandchildren: Nevaeh and Brandon.
John served as the Prosecuting Attorney for Morgan County in the 1990's. He went on to serve as a Public Defender in the Martinsburg office, retiring in 2012. His proudest moment was arguing a case before the West Virginia Supreme Court and receiving a complement from one of the judges for the quality of his brief.
His memorial service will be October 5, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. at Hunter-Anderson Funeral Home, 36 S. Green Street, Berkeley Springs, WV 25411.
John began drinking at a young age. By the time he was 29, he knew alcohol would kill him before he was 30 unless he quit. He went into residential treatment, followed by many years of active membership in AA. At the time of his death, he had completed 40 years of sobriety. He was able to do this because he was willing to look at the good and the dark sides of himself, working with them, doing what he could to resolve them. This, in turn, made him a man of great compassion, understanding, and wisdom, although he would claim none of those for himself.
At his death, he was a respected and beloved elder in his local and spiritual communities. Friends describe him as a man of quick wit, with a loving heart, a wry smile, and a wicked sense of humor; a gifted storyteller; a man of his word, a great listener, and a mentor. He would often be reading five books at once ranging from history, to science fiction, to philosophy. He loved MMO's and interacting with guild members. He deep sea dove to wrecks off the southern US coast. He had an abiding love of cats. He loved his wife's pot roast. He hoped he would be remembered as someone who tried and did some different things in his life; who was intelligent and curious; and who was a good friend. His hopes are fulfilled.
In lieu of flowers, it is asked that donations be given in John's name to Hospice of the Panhandle, 330 Hospice Lane, Kearneysville, WV, 25430
www.hospiceotp.org or or
www.gofundme.com/f/magus-scholarship-fund. This is the ONLY authorized GoFundMe.
This poem was cherished by John, posted in his meditation and prayer area.
The limbs that move, the eyes that see,
These are not entirely me;
Dead men and women helped to shape,
The mold that I do not escape;
The words I speak, the written line,
These are not uniquely mine.
For in my heart and in my will,
Old ancestors are warring still,
Celt, Roman, Saxon and all the dead,
From whose rich blood my veins are fed,
In aspect, gesture, voices, tone,
Flesh of my flesh, bone of my bone;
In fields they tilled, I plow the sod,
I walk the mountain paths they trod;
Around my daily steps arise -
The good, the bad - those I comprise.
Richard Rolle 1300 - 1349
