‘Gus’ Adams Dies at 91; Was a Resident 30 Years

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Category: Obituaries

Created on Monday, 05 December 2022 13:05

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August “Gus” Martin Adams

August “Gus” Martin Adams, a 30-year resident of Sitka, died Sept. 3 in Sitka, at age 91.

He was born May 23, 1931, in Juneau. He grew up there, and if you had asked him what he enjoyed most about it, his answer would have been basketball. He loved the sport. He and his high school teammates once won the Gold Medal Tournament, and he fondly remembered those glory days. 

After high school he found his way to California and attended San Jose State, studying business and economics. He headed north to attend Seattle University for a short stint, but moved back to the Bay Area in California and lived in and around San Jose for many years. He worked a short time as an insurance broker, and then had a long tenure as the executive director for the Indian Health Center in downtown San Jose.

He moved back to Juneau for a short-time, but eventually put down roots in Sitka, in 1992. He worked for Baranof Island Housing Authority, the housing entity for Sitka Tribe of Alaska, and was involved in the development of the Indian River subdivision. After a first stint with BIHA, he served a second, from 2002 to 2008, as executive director.

He had many Sitka friends, including Gil Truitt, Herb Didrickson and others who also loved basketball and had played it in the 1950s and ’60s.

“I don’t think Gus ever missed a single basketball game,” a friend said.

Gus was a life-long health enthusiast, into fitness, organic food, and lots of vitamins and supplements. He had a keen interest in business and economics, and closely followed the stock market for decades.

He was a lover of jazz and could spend hours (in the good old days of record stores) searching for the perfect recordings of musicians he loved – Thelonius Monk, John Coltran, Miles Davis.

He spent his last few years in Sitka Long-Term Care, where his family said “the wonderful staff took great care of him.”

Gus is survived by his daughter, Jean Adams, who lives near Seattle.

“I miss you, dad,” she said. “I think of you every day. And I think of all the fun times we had when I was young. Even when you’d drag me down to the local junior college to the ‘Par Course’ for exercise. I’d whine and complain and you’d say ‘you know, it’s a lot harder to get into shape when you’re older,’ and I’d roll my eyes. Turns out you were right.”

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