Elmer H. Adams

Elmer H. Adams, Reading, died in his sleep at home on July 28, 2008 having lived for 101 years.

This photograph was taken on the very eve of his 100th birthday.

He was born on July 2, 1907 at Oley Furnace.

He was the son of the late Charles H. and Elsie (Houck) Adams.

He was raised in St. Lawrence and received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1929. He became registered as an architect in 1932 and was admitted to the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Institute of Architects in 1939.

During the summer vacations and upon graduation he was employed in the offices of several of the leading architectural firms in Reading which included work on the "new" 1931 Berks County Court House. His practice began in 1932 with the design of the Lutz Funeral Home in Mt. Penn which won the Gold Medal in a nationwide competition conducted by the National Association of Funeral Directors and the A.I.A..

In order to better serve a wider range of clients, in 1963 the corporation "Adams, Eisenhower & Meckley Inc., was formed with Carl A. Eisenhower and Marlan J. Meckley.

During the fifty-five years of his practice until retirement in 1987, Mr. Adams designed more than five hundred public and private buildings. Among the many school buildings in Berks, Lancaster and adjacent counties are the two Berks Career & Technical Centers, the Perkins Student Center on the Berks P.S.U. campus. Five buildings were designed at Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA. Among office buildings are Vanity Fair, the Reading-Berks A.A.A. building, the Security of America building opposite the Reading Airport entrance and the Southeast Conference Center and Office building for the United Church of Christ at Collegeville.

Mr. Adams was a Charter Member and Past President of the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Pennsylvania Society of Architects. Over a period of fifteen years he served as an active member of several state-level committees for the Architects-Contractors-Engineer's Council of Pennsylvania Board of Examiners Advisory Committee. During his active business years he served as a member of the Reading-Berks Camber of Commerce.

He was a Scoutmaster of Troop No. 1, St. Lawrence, a member of Camp No. 230, Patriotic Sons of America since 1923 and a life-long member and a consistory-man of the Schwarzwald United Church of Christ.

He is survived by a wife, Janet (Lutz) Adams and a daughter Andrea (Adams) Cotner, wife of Edward R. Galus, State College, PA.

Other survivors include a granddaughter Jennifer Cotner, of Columbus, Ohio, and a grandson Adam Cotner, husband of Amy Gieffers, Chicago, Il.

He is also survived by a step-granddaughter Theresa, wife of Leo Giannola, Iron River, MI.

Services will be Friday at 1:30 p.m. in Schwarzwald United Church of Christ, 75 Church Lane Road, Reading, PA 19606. Burial will be in Schwarzwald Cemetery. Friends may call one hour prior to the services in the church. In lieu of flowers , the family requests memorial contributions, if any, be given to the Schwarzwald United Church of Christ at the above address. Edward J. Kuhn Funeral Home, Inc., West Reading, is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be recorded at www.kuhnfuneralhome.com