Digger magazine

Written to make you a nursery industry expert.

  • FWS-2025-NEW-September_728x90.png
  • NurseryGuide2024-728x90-1.png
  • Digger-Employment_banner-2020-728x90px.jpg
  • FWS-2025-NEW-September_728x90.png
  • Media-Kit-DM-com-banner-2025-728x90-1.png
  • Home
  • Articles
    • Nursery News
    • Features
    • Plants
    • Growing Knowledge
    • Operations
    • Nursery Country
  • Issues
  • Events
  • Farwest
  • Columns
    • Director’s Desk
    • Mike Darcy
    • President’s Message
  • Employment Classifieds
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe to Digger
You are here: Home / Nursery News / In Memoriam: David G. Adams

In Memoriam: David G. Adams

By Bill Goloski — Posted January 12, 2022

The Oregon Association of Nurseries is saddened to report the passing of Dave Adams, a retired former extension agent for Oregon State University who was an honorary lifetime member of OAN and a member of the Oregon Nurseries’ Hall of Fame.

He passed away last Tuesday, January 4, 2022, at an area hospital, from complications sustained after a bad fall and a hip replacement surgery. He was 88.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, January 15 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1285 Elm St., Canby, Oregon.

Mr. Adams was born in 1933 in Buffalo, New York to Albert and Edith Adams. His early years were difficult, as he attended 13 different high schools, but he graduated on time. In the post-Depression years, his father was a traveling construction worker, going wherever the work required. After graduation, Dave enlisted in the U.S. Army and served as a paratrooper with the 101st Airborne Division, attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant.

After completing his Army service, he met his future wife, Mary Lou, and they were married on December 24, 1956. He then enrolled at Michigan State University, earning a double master’s degree in agriculture and horticulture. The couple moved to South Dakota, and Dave taught at South Dakota State University for seven years. He then accepted an employment offer at Oregon State University. The couple moved to Corvallis, Oregon where Dave earned his doctorate in agriculture and worked for the OSU Extension Service.

As an OSU Extension agent, Adams collaborated with coworkers to start the Ornamentals Northwest Seminars. These were incorporated into the Farwest Show seminars, which he managed for several years while serving on the Farwest Show Committee. In 1998, he was inducted into the Oregon Nurseries’ Hall of Fame. Later in his career, he worked and volunteered with numerous organizations. He took more than 70 trips to 16 different countries, where he worked with nursery people in various countries and passed on his knowledge of agriculture.

Dave enjoyed spending time with his family, working on his farm, camping and fly fishing. He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and had a deep passion for genealogy. He was able to trace his family lineage back to the mid-18th century. At the time of his death, Dave and Mary Lou had just celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary.

Dave is survived by his wife, Mary Lou, four children, 10 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren. Read the full obituary here.

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • More
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket

Filed Under: Nursery News Tagged With: Nursery News

About Bill Goloski

Bill Goloski is the publications manager at the Oregon Association of Nurseries and the art director for Digger magazine.

NURSERY NEWS

In Memoriam: Melvin John Steffenson

New USDA Census of Hort arriving in mailboxes this month

Oregon Association of Nurseries honors the industry’s best at 2024 Convention

Eason Horticultural Resources is now employee-owned

Oregon’s nursery licensing program aims to keep the entire industry healthy

Building trust is key to establishing clientele base for new nurseries

Five owners share their experiences on what it takes to start a nursery businesses

Bailey hires new CFO and chief HR officer

More Nursery News

From the pages of Digger

June 2025: Shrubs issue

May 2025: Sustainability Issue

April 2025: The Tree Issue

March 2025: The Perennial Issue

February 2025: The Greenhouse Issue

More issues of Digger

Pests and Diseases

Prioritizing nursery pest challenges

New tools in the battle against thrips

Aiming for precision in pest control

Oregon’s nursery licensing program aims to keep the entire industry healthy

$250,000 shifted to P. austrocedri research

More articles

FARWEST SHOW UPDATES

Sense of excitement prevailed at Farwest as nursery industry ‘Meets the Future’ 

Farwest Show attendees select favorites for the Retailers’ Choice Awards

Starway to Heaven™ Japanese Snowbell wins People’s Choice balloting at Farwest Show New Varieties Showcase

Hopper Bros. wins Best in Show booth award at 2024 Farwest Show   

Starway to Heaven™ Japanese Snowbell wins Judges’ Best in Show at Farwest Show New Varieties Showcase

More Updates from Farwest

The Value of Membership

Meet the leader: Sam Pohlschneider

OAN honors the industry’s best

Oregon Association of Nurseries honors the industry’s best at 2024 Convention

More member stories

​

Updates to exisiting subscriptions can be sent to [email protected]

News

  • Nursery News
  • Growing Knowledge
  • Nursery Operations

Features

  • Plant Features
  • OAN Members
  • Oregon Nursery Country

Columns

  • Director’s Desk
  • Mike Darcy
  • President’s Message
  • Digital Growth

Resources

  • OAN Home Page
  • Job Listings
  • Subscribe to Digger
  • Advertise in Digger
  • Online Plant Search

© 2025 Oregon Association of Nurseries