William Harry Adams

Antique Cowboy, Retired Firefighter

William Harry Adams was a fifth generation Californian, born in Morgan Hill to Chester Adams and Meda McChesney and raised on his family ranch in the Uvas Road area. He attended the one-room Llagas School, Live Oak High, and Cal Poly SLO where he graduated with a degree in Agricultural Business Management. He was married soon after to Karen Leso and they had three daughters. After Bill divorced, he met his loving wife, Loreen Loftus Manning, and they were married in 1988 starting their 34 years together.

Bill's passion was ranching and he worked on ranches in Colorado, Willets, and Willows before settling with his young family back in Morgan Hill. Bill bought a share of the Adams family ranch where he and his family raised horses, goats, pigs, sheep, chickens, rabbits, and milk cows. For seventeen years he also leased the 2,000 acre Thomas Ranch above Anderson Lake where he pursued his ranching dream and ran 200 head of cattle.

Bill was a San Jose Firefighter and loved to cook for the team at his station. He was well known for his delicious chili. Bill loved to participate in the Firefighter's Rodeo, winning a few belt buckles in the team penning competition. After Bill retired from the fire department in 1999 he also retired from ranching and went to saddle-making school. He then turned his love of leatherwork from a hobby into a family run business and started Tumbleweed Saddlery out of his shop at the ranch. (Bill had to give up the business when he was diagnosed with cancer). He and Loreen also traveled for many years to rodeos and western fairs selling his saddles and tack, along with other adventures including Australia, Norway, and Denmark, and traveled much of the U.S.

Family was very important to Bill and he worked extensively on his genealogy. He was proud of his ancestors, from explorers (Ortega and De Anza), to hardworking farmers, to Sheriff of Santa Clara County (1864 – 1875), John Hicks Adams. Bill was a story teller about his ancestry and loved talking about his heritage, remembering details with ease. He was also a poet and wrote numerous poems for family and friends, once winning a talent contest on a Princess Cruise for his cowboy poetry. Bill was a longtime member of the Morgan Hill Lions Club.

Bill was a wonderful husband, father, brother, brother-in-law, and friend and will be missed by many. He is survived by his loving wife Loreen Adams, his brothers Raymond Johnson (Sally) and Wallace Adams, sister Patricia Near, brother-in-law Robert Loftus, his daughters Melissa Dean (Mark), Rebecca Pasquinelli (Tim), and Sarah Simon (Joe), stepsons Eric (Ann) and Michael (Maya) Manning and his grandchildren Eliza, Eric (Rebekah), Evan and Ethan Dean, Gabriella and Reece Pasquinelli, Brandon (Jessica), Morgan, Shea, Brady, Maysen, Dominic (Hannah) and Brayden Manning, and great grandson Darien, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Bill was preceded in death by his parents Chet and Meda Adams, brother Walter Johnson, and sister Winifred Baker.

Bill valued his camaraderie with his fire department comrades and with his ranching friends. Those days were some of his best. Bill was quite the cowboy; roping, riding, and the love of the land. Bill was an old soul and a man to be trusted. He still believed that a hand shake was a bond.

Bill fought the good fight against his cancer, Multiple Myeloma, for 8 ½ years. He beat the odds and fought like he lived, with determination, strength, positivity, and a "can do" non-complaining attitude. He gave it his all and fought right to the end.

Bill said, many times, that he had "a good run" and was so fortunate for his good and happy life and that he was able to do everything in his life that he set out to do.

Bill has left us with a rich history, a legacy of love, and large cowboy boots to fill!

Published in Morgan Hill Times · September 14, 2021