Robin George Adams of Langley, Wash., died at home on Monday, Jan. 27 and was buried on Thursday, Feb. 6 at the Langley Cemetery. Robin leaves behind his wife Judith and his three children Laura, William and Rachel. Robin was born in West Sussex, England and at four years of age went with his family to live in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. He attended high school at Falcon College in Zimbabwe and graduated from Magdalene College, Oxford in England where he was the vice president of the Oxford Debating Society. Robin worked as a management consultant for a metals and mining consultant company based in London.

All those who had the opportunity to know Robin know he was a very special person with a brilliant mind and a huge heart. He was also a man of the finest values.

Even right toward the end of his life he felt that so long as his mental faculties allowed, his duty was to help, especially the underdog. Three weeks before his death, he helped the Liberian government and received a letter from the Liberian minister.

“I want to assure you that the people of Liberia will remain eternally grateful to you for what you demonstrated today, in spite of your personal condition, you made the sacrifice to show up when we really needed you and you ensured that the interests of the people of Liberia were well served,” it said.

Very shortly before his death he appeared in a long-running case involving communities badly hit by pollution from an aluminum smelter. Robin’s evidence was considered so vital to the case that the court came to Langley to hear him in person and to have the opportunity to cross-examine him directly.

Robin was also a man of great generosity of spirit. Time and again he mentored and was unstinting with his time. Robin worked this summer throughout his illness on the Langley Ethics Committee where a code of ethics was drawn up.

Robin liked to be in the company of others, was a great conversationalist and raconteur; he had a broad-ranging curiosity. He travelled in his work to 92 countries. He was a proficient skier and loved to ski the most “brutal drop offs”

Robin had known for several months that his condition was terminal and faced the inevitable with great courage and amazing equanimity. His greatest support during this time and throughout his 40-year marriage was his beloved wife Judith and his children who helped him across the threshold with great love and support.

There will be a memorial service for Robin at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11 at the Langley United Methodist Church. Robin was a supporter of the Whidbey Camano Land Trust, 765 Wonn Road, Barn C-201, Greenbank, WA 98253, or call 360-222-3310, and would be very happy if instead of flowers money would be given to this environmental non-profit organization.