Dana Adams ’71

6 April 2020

Class: 1971

Major: English

Deceased: March 15, 2020

Alumni survivors: Mrs. Nina A. Christensen ’68 P00 (Cousin)

Dana Bryant ‘Dan’ Adams was born Oct. 7, 1949, in Billings to Edgar Malcolm Adams, Jr. and Faith Elizabeth Reynolds Adams. He died March 15, 2020, at home in Neuss, Germany, after a long illness.Dan grew up on the Adams family cattle ranch in Golden Valley County, Montana. After attending rural Cherry Creek School for 7 grades, he continued his schooling in Billings, graduating from Billings Senior High School in 1967. In 1971 Dan earned a B.A. in English from Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota. Having obtained his teaching credentials, he taught elementary school in Seattle for a decade, after which he took posts in Tarsus and then Izmir, Turkey, teaching ESL and other subjects.While in Izmir, he met Verena Passig, who became his partner and then wife for twenty years. After Turkey, Dan and Verena lived and taught in a number of cities in Germany, Verena’s native country, and in some other countries, for example, Singapore and Russia. They settled in Duesseldorf.During the last years of his career Dan taught English to adults in the Volkshochschule in Neuss, a smaller city across the Rhine River from Duesseldorf. In Neuss Dan developed a large warm circle of friends who were mostly his former students. Dan returned to the U.S.A. annually to visit family.An operation to replace a heart valve in 2003 began an era of health challenges, which lasted the remainder of his life. Dan is survived by his partner of seven years Thai Lang Ho, his sister Lynn Adams (David Haxton), brother Harlan ‘Kit’ Adams (Asja), loyal friend Regina Boehm, nephews Luke and Thomas Adams, niece Amelia Saul, aunt Judy Reynolds Brown, and many cousins. A private memorial gathering of family and friends will take place in Seattle when circumstances allow. For details, contact adamslc8@gmail.com

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