Richard H. Adams

Richard H. Adams,
Age 84, passed away peacefully on Monday, October 14, 2019 in his home on Seneca Lake in Hector.

Richard (Dick) was born in Elmira on January 4, 1935, the son of the late Paul and Ruth Adams. He attended a one-room school house in Hector, graduated from Watkins Glen High School, attended Wooster College in Ohio and received his Bachelor and Masters of Science degrees at MIT. Adams was an aerospace engineer in California and Boston, and once owned a product-development firm. While visiting the Harvard Square Logos Bookstore in Cambridge, Mass., he met the future director of the Logos chain, volunteered, and in July of 1972, opened Logos Bookstore of Ithaca. The store, quite small, developed and evolved into an ever-changing department store, a staple on the Ithaca Commons for close to 30 years. Richard and wife Elizabeth were then instrumental in starting the third-world craft shop, Ten Thousand Villages, which still thrives on The Commons now as One World Market. Over the years Richard was an advocate for peace and justice. In his retirement years living on Seneca Lake with his wife, Elizabeth, he delighted in the many visits, Holiday celebrations, and picnics, with his family. He never forgot to challenge family members to jump into the cold lake!

He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Elizabeth, his son Scott(Nancy) of Hector , his daughter Leslie(James) of Interlaken, his son John(Shannon) of Sidney, and his son Ted(Geeta) of Medford, MA, and his grandchildren, Courtney, Kiersten, Julia, Hayley, Pari, Catherine, Kieran and Anastasia. He is predeceased by his sister, Jean Bishop and brothers, Budd and Bruce.

A memorial service will be held by the family at the Hector Presbyterian Church, State Route 414, Hector at 11:00 a.m., on Saturday, October 19th, followed by a luncheon reception in the church’s fellowship hall. In lieu of flowers, friends may kindly consider a donation in Richard’s memory to Agua Clara, a water purification system used in developing countries, which was invented by Monroe Weber-Shirk from Cornell. (aguaclara.cornell.edu)

You may express condolences or leave a memory for the family online at www.RoyceChedzoy.com. Arrangements entrusted to Royce-Chedzoy Funeral Home, Watkins Glen.