Ronald Vern Adkins' Obituary
Ronald Vern Adkins, 79, died peacefully in his home in Tacoma, WA on May 17, 2018. The son of Hobert and Amelia (Eaton) Adkins of Huntington, WV, he is survived by his wife, Jeanette, his sister Elizabeth (“Dibbie”), two sons from his first marriage to Sharon Kaye (Estep) Adkins, Darrett (wife Ingrid) and Jason Edwin (wife Helen) and four grandchildren, Liv, Kari, Espen, and Stine Adkins. He was preceded in death by his sister Gaynelle.
Educated at George Washington University, Marshall University, and Denver University, he started his academic career (after a brief clerkship for the FBI) in the history department at Shenandoah College. He taught American History at Huron College in South Dakota and later at the University of Denver before moving to Tacoma, WA, in 1977 to work in administration at the University of Puget Sound. After 10 years at UPS he became a personal financial advisor and Certified Financial Planner for IDS/American Express until he retired in 2005. He continued studying after retirement through online classes from The University of Chicago.
A passionate reader, Ron was a member and organizer of several Great Books discussion groups and had recently started “Great Decisions” a Foreign Policy Association discussion group at Frank Tobey Jones, where he lived the last two years of his life. He was a member of the Rotary Club of Lakewood. He was a Paul Harris Fellow and traveled to Ethiopia in 2005 to participate in National Immunization Day (a Rotary International program to eradicate polio from the entire planet). He was chairman of the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship Program for many years, involved in the Next Step mentoring program, and instrumental in establishing the International Baccalaureate Program in the Clover Park School District. He enjoyed golf and was a member of the Jefferson Park Lawn Bowling Club for many years. He was a great fan of the Tacoma Rainiers and the Tacoma Stars. He had served on the board of the Tacoma Youth Symphony and the Rotary Club of Lakewood. He coached the Mark-It Foods Markers, a community youth soccer team for three years.
He will be remembered for his intellect, his wit, his generosity, his service to his community, and his belief in the necessity and power of an educated citizenry.
A memorial service for Ron will be held Aug. 11, 2018, 11:30 a.m. at Mountain View Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation.
What’s your fondest memory of Ronald ?
What’s a lesson you learned from Ronald ?
Share a story where Ronald 's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Ronald you’ll never forget.
How did Ronald make you smile?