Obituary of Gary W. ‘Ace’ Adams, 82
Gary W. “Ace” Adams.
Private celebration of life service will be held in 2025
– Gary W. “Ace” Adams, born on March 13, 1942, in San Francisco, California, passed away peacefully on Dec. 9, 2024, in Paso Robles, California.
Gary was the beloved son of Ruth Heske and Jack Adams. His father tragically passed during World War II when Gary was just an infant. He spent his childhood and formative years in Sunnyvale, California, alongside his younger siblings Jim Adams, Donna Florio, and Scott Hummert.
A proud graduate of Sunnyvale High School’s Class of 1960, Gary formed lifelong friendships that he cherished throughout his life. As a teenager, he worked at Anna’s Danish Cookies, a family business in San Francisco named after his grandmother Anna Donnelly. This early experience instilled in him a strong work ethic and a deep appreciation for family traditions.
After high school, Gary earned his pilot’s license and began flying Cessna airplanes for a delivery company operating between San Francisco and Los Angeles. This marked the beginning of his lifelong passion for aviation. Known affectionately as “Ace,” a nickname inspired by his love of airplanes, Gary remained captivated by aviation throughout his life.
Though he aspired to become a commercial airline pilot, this dream was hindered by the influx of experienced pilots returning from Vietnam, a disappointment he carried but never let define him.
Gary proudly served in the Army Reserves and later built a career spanning over three decades with AT&T. Throughout his life, he resided in various Bay Area cities including Campbell, Almaden Valley, and San Jose before retiring with his second wife Marcy Adams (Le Brescu) in Grass Valley.
Following Marcy’s passing from bone cancer in 2003, Gary relocated to Napa before eventually moving to Paso Robles under the care and support of his eldest daughter Dawn after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Family was the cornerstone of Gary’s life. He was a devoted father to his two daughters: Dawn Christine Hawkins (born 1964) and Kari Lyn Adams (born 1970), whom he shared with his first wife Kathy Brigham (Mooney). His daughters were an enduring source of pride and joy.
Later in life, he became a loving stepfather to Noah Easter (formerly Jeromy Del Real), whom he embraced as family following Marcy’s passing. As “Papa,” Gary adored being a grandfather to Nicole “Nikki” Kari, Lilly Rae, and Adam, and later enjoyed the role of great-grandfather to Khloe, DJ, and Ryder.
An avid sports fan with unwavering loyalty to the San Francisco 49ers, Giants, Oakland A’s, and Golden State Warriors, Gary often reminisced about attending games as a child with his younger brother “Jimmy” and their grandfather Martin Donnelly. Among these treasured memories was meeting baseball legend Willie Mays through their close friendship with Lefty O’Doul, a story Gary loved sharing with friends and family.
Gary’s hobbies reflected his zest for life and insatiable curiosity about how things worked. A passionate aviation enthusiast who attended air shows whenever possible, he also volunteered for the Confederate Air Force alongside friends like Al to restore historic fighter jets.
He enjoyed snow skiing trips with his daughters and took pride in caring for Nikki when her mother was at work. A skilled handyman who could fix or build almost anything, Gary also had an enduring love for cars-especially the bright blue Corvette he owned later in life.
Mondays during the 1970s and ’80s were often reserved for football gatherings with friends where Gary embraced camaraderie under their nickname for him: “Ace.” He found peace at Kennedy Meadows on retreats with his best friend Larry Teague and their families as well as joy during countless visits to Maui that inspired his signature collection of Hawaiian shirts.
Those who knew Gary will remember him for his kind-hearted nature, infectious laughter, devotion to family and friends, unwavering loyalty to those he cared about most deeply-and above all, for the stories he told that brought smiles to everyone fortunate enough to know him.
A private celebration of life service will be held in 2025 to honor this remarkable man who touched so many lives. May memories of Gary bring comfort to all who loved him as they celebrate the legacy he leaves behind.
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