Jean M. Adamson

Jean Marie Adamson was born September 27, 1942 in Baltimore, Maryland to Helena Margaret (nee Beckman) and Robert Alver Adamson, both of whom preceded her in death. She died of heart failure December 28, 2021.

Jean grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. She attended Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a B.S. degree in biology in 1964. She went on to graduate studies in marine biology (phytoplankton) at Friday Harbor Marine Laboratory, University of Miami, the University of Maryland and Rutgers University. At U of MD, she met her future husband, fellow grad student, Allen Solomon in February, 1966. They married in June, 1966 and in January, 1971, she bore twin sons. She earned a master’s degree in statistics and math and in 1986, a Ph.D. in biology, both from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

She was also a very adaptable person as the family moved from place to place. At various times, she served as a biological scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee; as the Quality Assurance Officer for the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis near Vienna, Austria; as the Assistant Dean for Research and Graduate Services at Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan; as a marine scientist at Oregon Institute for Marine Biology in Coos Bay, Oregon; as a computer science instructor at Southwest Oregon Community College in Coos Bay; and as the Institutional Researcher at Linn-Benton Community College in Albany, Oregon, until her retirement in 2005. Jean was a friend of many people, who were drawn to her warm, cheerful and outgoing personality.

After retirement, Jean followed her passion for water color artistry, particularly landscapes. She painted with the local Plein Air Painters, was a member of the Bay Area Artist Association, the Coos Bay Art Museum, and was very active in the Artist Loft Gallery in Coos Bay.

Jean also maintained an enthusiastic and long-standing study of the scientific basis for effects by diet biochemistry on human health, and occasionally taught informal courses in low carbohydrate diets.  She prepared taxes for those unable to do so and still found time to cook fabulous meals, to garden, and for extensive international travel.

Jean leaves her husband of 55 years, Allen M. Solomon of Coos Bay; her sister, Verna (Adamson) Suit and brother-in-law, Charles Suit of Silver Spring, MD; her sons, Robert Alver (wife, Elizabeth Maund Solomon) of Melrose, MA and Charles Leon II (wife, Leslie Cooper Solomon) of Rabat, Morocco; and six grandchildren (Rob’s Benjamin, Gabriel, Chloe and Grace; Charlie’s Aidan and Linnea).

Primarily due to covid considerations, no funeral ceremony will be held. A celebration of life will be conducted in the coming spring or summer at which we hope to discuss her humanity and document her life’s path. To that end, please send photos of activities that included Jean to allen.m.solomon@gmail.com. Include date, place, and other(s) in the photo(s), and a brief or expanded description of the activity shown.  Together we can all celebrate this accomplished and dear woman’s life that so significantly and positively impacted our own.

In lieu of flowers, please send any contributions you care to make to the Nancy Devereux Center, a homeless shelter Jean loved, at 1200 Newmark Ave, Coos Bay, OR 97420. Thank you!

Arrangements are under the care of Coos Bay Chapel, 541-267-3131. Family and friends are invited to sign the online guestbook at www.coosbayareafunerals.com

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Jean M. Adamson, please visit our floral store.