Howland "Bud" Adams Jr. (4-19-23) service date will be scheduled

Howland K. “Bud” Adams Jr., 92, of Savannah, passed away on Wednesday, April 19. Born in Mt. Kisco, New York on July 27, 1930, he made his heavenly journey shy of his 93rd birthday, but was proud to tell anyone within earshot that he was “going to be 93”.

Raised on a dairy farm in Westchester County, New York, he left his farming roots behind to pursue a Master’s Degree in Metallurgical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. This degree led to his long career at General Electric and Knolls Atomic Power Lab in Schenectady, New York.

Mr. Adams married and raised a family during this time but never gave up on the idea of returning to farming. Eventually, he left behind the 9 to 5 world, got his CDL, and found that the life of a long-haul trucker afforded him the opportunity to return to working the land. When his youngest son Daniel entered the competitive sport of Biathlon, Bud used his skills and his equipment to carve out a complete Biathlon course in the forested foothills of the Adirondacks. To this day, the Saratoga Biathlon Club practices and competes on the course named in his honor; The Howland “Bud” Adams Range at Saratoga.

Health issues necessitated his move to Walnut Grove (Savannah), in 2018. Under the watchful eyes of his daughters, he nurtured his passion for the restoration of the American Chestnut tree. He proudly spearheaded a local group to carry on that mission. An article about his efforts was published in the Dec. 24, 2020, edition of the Courier.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Howland K. Adams Sr. and Annette Bloomer Adams; his brother, J. Harvey Adams; and his wife, Sally McCune Adams.

He is survived by his four children, Howland K. (Scott) Adams III of Malta, New York, Nancy Adams (Tom Novellino) of Savannah, Janet Wright (Lee Wright) of Savannah, and Daniel M. Adams (Lisa Reasoner Adams) of Hampton, Georgia; grandchildren, Taylor Wright Hammock (Eric Hammock) of Counce, Robert Wallace Wright (Molly Casteel Wright) of Savannah, Christopher Adams of Hampton, Georgia, Daniel M. Adams Jr. (Hannah Turner Adams) of Bellevue, Washington, Ashley Adams of Hampton, Georgia, Bridger Adams of Bellevue, Washington, and Harrison Adams of Bellevue, Washington, and two great -grandchildren, Avery Alane Wright and Addie Jo Wright, both of Savannah.

Memorial donations may be made to The American Chestnut Foundation, 50 North Merrimon Ave., Suite 115, Asheville, North Carolina, 28804.

Memorial services to be scheduled at a future date in South Salem, New York.