Adams remembered as warm-hearted

If the old cliche of a picture being worth a thousand words holds true, IU Student Media Director Dave Adams could have filled a novel. Ten poster boards with pictures lined a hallway that more than 100 people passed through on their way to pay their respects to the man many simply knew as “Dadams.” \nFor three hours, friends and family remembered Adams during a visitation held at Allen Funeral Home on Thursday. \nAdams, 59, was found unresponsive June 2 in his backyard koi pond. His death was ruled an accidental drowning. \nThe mood was solemn as the visitation began, but as more people arrived, the atmosphere lifted into one more fitting of Adams’ dynamic personality. Friends and colleagues began to joke and laugh as they shared memories. \n“Dave had a twinkle always in his eye,” Bloomington North guidance counselor Greg Chaffin said. Chaffin had known Adams for about 15 years, first as a student and then as a friend. “He loved fun, travel, gossip. He was a storyteller par excellence.” \nThe pictures showed Adams with students, colleagues, family, his partner Chunming “Jimmy” Chou, his son John and even his pugs, Dorothy and Toto. A projector and screen were set up in one corner of the room showing a montage of the photos. \nNext to the screen, a poster board featured various name cards from conferences and positions Adams held. Other indications of Adams’ personality were placed throughout the room: a bowl from his office labeled “Dave’s Candy Dish” sat on one table, and Beanie Baby pugs rested on another. On the altar, Adams’ passion for his work was conveyed by a bumper sticker proclaiming, “I heart the First Amendment.” \nJeanne Vrabel, an IDS staffer from 1999 to 2004, remembered Adams’ generosity.\nVrabel recounted numerous letters of recommendations Adams wrote, as well as a framed picture he sent to her after attending her wedding in Florida. \n“He was helpful; he’d bend over backwards for you,” she said. \nAdams showed concern for others in a personal capacity, but his colleagues made sure to point out his enthusiasm for journalism. \nRetired IU High School Journalism Institute professor Dan Niles met Adams more than 20 years ago through the institute. He said one particular memory came to mind that exemplified Adams’ unwavering passion for journalism. After watching a movie at the Von Lee, Adams and Niles walked out and saw a large crowd on Indiana Avenue. People were screaming, and police cars were parked nearby. \n“We both looked at each other and said, ‘Let’s go,’” Niles said. \nNiles said he and Adams went to a place nearby and yelled to the person at the desk, “Pencil and paper! Pencil and paper!” Pencil and paper in hand, both men began taking notes on what was happening – undoubtedly a drunken brawl, Niles said. When they were done, Niles and Adams gave their notes to the IDS. Looking back on their adventure, Niles said he and Adams probably looked ridiculous. \n“Here are these middle-aged men, shouting,” he said. \nChaffin also recalled Adams’ passion for journalism, especially in the classroom. \n“We would get into discussions in class on freedom and freedom of speech,” Chaffin said. “He was a passionate man on those issues.” \nBloomington North teacher Ryan Gunterman worked at the IDS from 1999 to 2002. He took Adams’ class on press law, and recently pulled out a handout from the class. While it brought tears to his eyes, Gunterman said he had to laugh. The handout was an opinion piece on the Hosty v. Carter Supreme Court case, which dealt with censorship of college newspapers. Adams had covered it with his own opinionated notes and reactions. \n“At one point he wrote down ‘ugh’ with a couple of exclamation points after it,” Gunterman said, laughing. \nAll expressed the sentiment that Adams made everyone he came in contact with feel like they were important to him. Chaffin said Adams was sincere in this. \n“He made everybody feel like they had a special relationship with him – and they did,” Chaffin said. \nGunterman wondered how Adams managed to develop a close relationship with everyone he knew. \n“He got invested in every person’s life he met,” Gunterman said. “How did he do it? ... Dave did it as if it was just what you did.”