of Little Rock, AR

August 11, 1939 - September 6, 2020

Michael Allan "Mike" Adams, born on August 11, 1939, died peacefully on Sunday September 6, 2020, having lived a long and enjoyable life of 81 years. Despite COVID obstacles, Mike's wife and daughters were able to be with him in his final days.
Mike is survived by his wife Jean Adams (Schoonmaker) (aka, that blonde lady he lived with). He met Jean during high school in Detroit, Mi. and they were married there in 1962. Mike was a loving husband and for over 58 years they happily took on life's adventures raising a family and managing dual careers. Over the years they frequently traveled to Disney World, Canada, London, and more recently they made several trips to Las Vegas and Hawaii.
Mike was an easygoing and supportive father to his daughters Kristen Adams (husband Tony Imbimbo) of Darien, CT., and Sarah Adams (husband Ted Yapo) of Clifton Park, NY. He loved his children and enjoyed bragging about their talents and achievements. Both Kristen and Sarah were, in the words of Monty Python, proud to "look upon him as their own Dad, in a very real and legally binding sense."
Mike's grandchildren, Dr. Elsa Imbimbo (husband Dr. Victor Pan), Sofia Imbimbo, Haley Yapo and Isaac Yapo remember him as a patient Grampa who took them fishing, praised their sports interests, and absolutely reveled in their joys and successes. Mike happily attended graduations, sporting events, and recitals. He was proud of each them.
Mike is predeceased by his mother Kathleen Donahue Adams and his father Allen Frank 'Al' Adams. And joining them in heaven, Mike is finally able to collect the remaining 37 cents owed to him by his father from cumulative golfing bets from the late 1970's.
Mike is also survived by his sister, Kitty Markie and her husband Frank of Richmond, Mi. and their seven wonderful children. Mike was fond of his nieces and nephews, especially Mike Markie. Mike and his nephew formed a close friendship when Mike Markie lived with Mike & Jean in Little Rock, Ar., as well as when Mike and his wife Ellen Markie later returned to live in Arkansas for a few years.
Mike was born in Wyandotte, Michigan on August 11, 1939. He grew up in Detroit and moved to St. Louis, Mo. as a teenager. Early on (during the 1950's) Mike played bass guitar for a band who opened for Gene Krupa at a concert in St. Louis. Mike was the manager of the band and subsequently became interested in business management. Mike graduated from the University of Detroit, completed an MBA at Michigan State University and built a successful career over 4 decades as a manufacturing engineer making processes dramatically more efficient, reducing costs, and improving the quality of products for Kelsey Hayes, Rickel, and Gibson Guitar.
His expertise took him from Detroit to Little Rock via Salina, Kansas. In Kansas, Mike, who was already a reluctant cat and dog owner (Taffy and Snowy respectively), became an even more reluctant horse owner (actually 5 horses).
After moving to Little Rock, Mike ran a successful furniture manufacturing plant in Benton, Arkansas for many years. He wrapped up his career serving as the Arkansas State Registrar of Vital Statistics, ensuring that birth, marriage, and death information was recorded accurately and that citizens had quick access to their own vital statistic documents. He would be greatly pleased that is own final documents were processed promptly.

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