Bryant Lee Adams

Family and friends deeply mourn the passing of Bryant Lee Adams, a faithful father, husband, son, brother, and grandfather. He passed away on Sunday, March 22, 2020, from complications due to cancer. Bryant was the youngest of nine children (Flora, Daniel Stanley Jr., Margaret, Alma Dorus, Karl, Marva, Carlos, and Larry) born to Daniel Stanley Adams and Linda Kartchner. He was born in Sandy, Utah on November 16, 1936, and grew up in Utah, California, Oregon, and northern Idaho. After high school, he served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ontario, Canada. He then attended Brigham Young University, where he fell in love with and married Janet Hains Eckersley. He continued his schooling, graduating with a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming. Bryant and Janet had twelve children—Roselyn (Kevin Sant), Sheri, Stirling (Kif Augustine), Nora (Ron Wendel), Gaylene (Jeff Davis), Valerie (Sam Lee), Matthew (Jen Yogi), Spencer (Chelsea Leinenbach), DeAnn, Nathan, Benson, and Janeel. Bryant spent many years working as a research biochemist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He began studying tumors in fish during this time, which turned into a lifelong pursuit of a cure for cancer that was only heightened when his wife, Janet, passed away from cancer. After leaving government employment, Bryant worked in construction, including on the Bonneville Dam, and then completed a career as an environmental engineer for wood-treating and semiconductor companies. His PhD studies and work assignments carried the family on a course around the western states of Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Washington, and Idaho. After retiring, he designed and built his own research lab, using fish to study the effects of variants of Vitamins A & E on treating cancer. Two years ago, he published a portion of his post-retirement cancer research results in the article "Heptocellular Carcinomas Are Promoted by Tocopheryl Acetate but Eliminated by Tocopheryl Succinate." After he finally lost the energy to run lab studies himself, he continued his research by joining forces with a team from the Simmons Center for Cancer Research at Brigham Young University. Even in the last year of his life, when he experienced a resurgence of his own cancer, he persisted in his research, even applying to himself some of the same protocols he had been investigating for so many years. Bryant had a lifelong love of music, and sang regularly with family around the piano and in church choirs. He played several musical instruments, predominately the trumpet and French horn. In his later years, he also enjoyed composing vocal arrangements. Bryant was a devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a disciple of Jesus Christ. He served in many church callings over the years, and for the last 10 years as a temple worker in the Seattle temple. He spent countless hours serving others, and he loved sharing the gospel and studying his scriptures. He lived with great enthusiasm, always wore a smile, and showed love for others. He spent his life looking out for those around him, finding joy in serving, not just his neighbors and family, but many a stranger. He is greatly missed and has left a lasting legacy we will not forget. Please leave condolences or share memories and photos on the Tribute Wall to the left.