Jerald Jennings Adams

Jerald Jennings Adams passed away from natural causes at home in Kona, Hawaii on December 1, 2021. He was born in a farmhouse in Pangburn, Arkansas on August 10, 1940, to John Edward Adams and Murl Maud Reaves Adams. The Adams family were farmers and shortly after Jerry’s birth, they were looking for a better way of life and decided to relocate to Washington State.
At the age of three, Jerry’s family moved to Longview, Washington where his father joined the Reynolds Metals Company, and his mother ran the Green Gables boarding house. Jerry graduated from R. A Long High School in 1959. After taking classes at Lower Columbia Community College, Jerry decided to enlist in the U. S. Army. It was during his last year in Frankfurt, Germany where he met his future wife, Elfriede M. Oswald.
Jerry and Elfie moved back to Longview in 1964 and began their family and long life together. They were married for 39 years until 2004, when Elfie’s life abruptly ended. Jerry did not re-marry and always said there would never be another Elfie.
Jerry joined his father at Reynolds Metals Co. where he worked for 10 years. During his time with Reynolds, he joined the company’s international division and helped open plants in Caracas, Venezuela, Invergordon, Scotland and Hamburg, Germany. After leaving Reynolds, Jerry followed his dream of having his own business. He started a residential construction company, Adams Construction, and was responsible for building many homes in the Longview hillsides as well as several personal residences in Longview and Port Ludlow, Washington and Scottsdale, Arizona. After a brief time as a tavern owner, Jerry eventually joined J. H. Kelly, where he remained until 1985.
Jerry was always seeking new opportunity and accepted an offer to move to Phoenix, Arizona in 1985. He became the General Manager of a small heavy equipment rental yard. Phoenix was a growing metropolitan area and Jerry saw there was a future for the rental business. Together with two of his lifelong friends, he started Valley Rentals which operated from 1989 until 1998, when a larger corporation bought the business. Valley Rentals began as one rental yard and had grown to ten yards across the southwest by the time the business sold. Jerry was able to retire after selling the business and was ever so proud of his achievement and the people he touched.
After retirement, Jerry and Elfie split their time between Arizona and Washington. Jerry enjoyed deep sea fishing in Mexico, playing golf, travelling, and spending time with family and friends.
He is survived by his daughters, Stefanie M. Adams Davis of Scottsdale, AZ and Jennifer J. Adams of Kona, Hawaii, his grandchildren, Sydney R. Jones, and Maxwell B. Jones, of Scottsdale, Arizona. He is also survived by many beloved nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, and grand-nephews as well as cousins in Longview and Arkansas.
Jerry was preceded in death by his parents, his sisters Eudora Adams Peters and Peggy Joan Adams Lessard and his brother, Vernon D. Adams as well as his wife, Elfriede M. Adams.
A memorial service for Jerry will be held on Sunday, January 23, 2022, from 1pm to 5pm at the Longview Country Club. A virtual service will also be livestreamed on social media.
In lieu of flowers, please make any donations to the Lower Columbia Community College Foundation, www.lowercolumbia.edu/foundation