Robert Adams (2 May 1953 - 30 Nov 2016)

In loving memory of Robert Adams who sadly passed away on 30th November 2016.

Rob was born in St Helens on 2nd May 1953. He was the first son for Edie and Jimmy Adams who went on to have a family of six children - Pat, Jean, Rob, Pam, Paul and Mike.

Rob was a bright child - known as The Professor at his junior school - and went on to grammar school. But he was so keen to see the world, he joined the navy at 17. His first posting was to Antigua and so it was a good start!

He married Sue when he was 19 and had two children, Rachel and Phil.

He passed his petty officer exams, but left the navy to help raise the children in Kent.

Life took Sue and Rob on different paths but Rob was always keen to stay close to Rachel and Phil, so found himself living close to Heathrow Airport and working as a security guard in Terminal 1.

There he met Claire - a student on a summer contract - where they flirted on the ‘divers’ (the metal detectors you walk through) and eventually ended up on a first date.

With Rachel and Phil now independent adults themselves, Rob was able to focus on himself and decided to follow a passion he had for computing. He took himself back to school to learn to code. It always amused him that he started at Slough Tech but thanks to the changes to the education system at the time, by the time he finished his HND, he graduated from Thames Valley University (same classroom, same teachers).

He managed to get himself a junior role in BAA’s IT department - in his early 40’s, an unlikely apprentice - and started his new life in ‘the offices’.

Claire and Rob married in 1995 and bought their first home in Leatherhead. They had a really fun nine years of globe trotting; spending time with Phil and Rachel; being the fun uncle and aunt that took out Rob's nephews and nieces; and generally partying with their huge extended family whilst their careers went from strength to strength. Rob was the most reluctant of managers, though. He had never had ambitions to climb the greasy pole. He just remained curious and committed ... and the people above him kept leaving until suddenly he found himself running BAA's development and support team.

Rob was a huge nature-lover. He loved bird watching, but also learnt to scuba dive to be able to swim amongst the coral and see the vast array of fish in our seas (the warm seas, that is - Rob couldn't stand the cold). Claire and he managed to do safaris in Africa and Asia which were a massive thrill.

When you are one of six and your wife is one of five, there is always a party going on somewhere and Rob would always be keen to go. Whether he was hogging the dancefloor or sharing his 'wisdom' at the bar, he loved a good get together. And milestone birthdays just gave the excuse to do that on steroids - be it his 40th, 50th or 60th, or Claire's 30th or 40th - these have given both the Zuurbiers and the Adams' fantastic memories.

In 2004, Rob became a father again - this time to twin boys Danny and Joe. Fatherhood at 51 hadn't quite been the life plan, but he embraced it fully and has enjoyed 12 years of family life. Through the children, suddenly Rob and Claire found themselves enjoying a whole new social life as they met other parents and he has been a regular fixture at the school social scene - particularly on anything that involved poker or dancing!

Sport and fitness have played a big part of Rob's life. He ran the London marathon in 1991 and was a keen cyclist. He enjoyed working out at the gym. He shared his passion for the outdoors with all of his children and it was a massive thrill for him that Danny and Joe developed a love of rugby - his number one passion (though possibly the wrong code, for him - being a lifelong St Helens fan). A man of many dimensions, he loved darts and snooker, too - winning lots of darts trophies in his 30's.

Latterly, Rob became a grandfather to Bella, Harry and Jack, which brought him immense pleasure. These last few years have been filled with so many joyous family get togethers - at the centre of which - Jack Daniels in hand - was Rob.

Rob was 63 when he died. In today's terms, still young, but he would tell you that he had used his time well and had truly had a blast!

Funeral dress code: We do not want to see a sea of black suits and ties. Please wear what you feel comfortable in - it's dress down Friday, after all.

Your memories: Please can you share your memories of Rob - a story, a facet of his character that you loved. This will be so important to Danny and Joe as they grow up - as well as hugely comforting for Rachel, Phil and Claire.