Randall Adam

Age 69, Of Lake Elmo, MN, died unexpectedly February 27 from heart failure, having battled Parkinson's for nine years. Randy was born in Cheyenne, WY on September 3, 1943 and was raised in Cooperstown, ND. He attended the University of North Dakota at Grand Forks before moving to Minneapolis to work as a lab technician at General Mills. From 1966 to 1968 he served in the Peace Corps as an ag extension worker in Bandarshah, Iran. He earned his BS in chemistry at the University of Minnesota in 1970, and his PhD in polymer chemistry from the University of California-San Diego in 1976. Following two post-doctoral years with IBM in San Jose, CA, he joined 3M as a research chemist in 1978. From 1988 to 2000 he was director of research for 3M Unitek in Sierra Madre, CA. He then was Laboratory Director at 3M in Maplewood, MN until retiring in 2004. Randy was a man of many talents: hunter, fisherman, gardener, chef, baker, brewer, banjo-player, potter, and tailor he was also an instrument-rated private pilot and black belt in Shotokan karate. He was intelligent, energetic, funny, and entertaining; his family will miss him greatly.
He is preceded in death by parents Robert and Anne Adam, and brother, Bobby Adam. He is survived by wife, Ginny (nee Lee) Adam, Lake Elmo; daughters, Jennifer (Wally Swanson) Adam, St. Paul; Elizabeth (Paul) Johnson, Minneapolis; their mother, Kathy (Steve) Oakley, St. Paul; stepdaughter, Melissa (Aaron) Lee, Portland, OR; sisters, Karen Adam, Los Angeles, CA; Candice (Marc) Adam-Medefind, Merced, CA; and brother Robin (Kathy) Adam, Merced, CA. He is also survived by grandsons Adam and Mark Bly, Jorgen Adam Swanson, Axel Lee; granddaughter, Noa Lee; nieces Ann Chinchilla DeGeorge and Marit Medefind; special nephew Eric Chinchilla, nephews Adam Gray and David Adam-Marvulli; much extended family; many friends; and his beloved Goldens: Hank, Olive, and Willow.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 16 at 4:00P.M. at BRADSHAW FUNERAL HOME, 678 Snelling Avenue, St. Paul. A visitation will be held two hours prior to the service at the funeral home.