Earl L. Adams, Jr.

Earl Leonard Adams Jr., of Maplewood NJ, died of natural causes on February 22, 2024. He was born on December 8, 1931, in Roselle, NJ to Earl Sr. and Esther Adams. Earl attended Abraham Clark High School in Roselle and played varsity football. He graduated in 1948. Earl worked at TELE TONE Radio Corporation before joining the United States Army in 1951. Stationed in Germany, during the Korean War, Earl achieved the rank of Corporal within the Military Police Corps and received a National Defense Service Award before returning to civilian life. Earl began a career in the insurance brokerage industry in college, graduated from Pace University in 1964, and joined Harry R. Lee & Co. In 1967, Earl earned his MBA from the College of Insurance. Johnson & Higgins, one of the largest insurance brokerage firms in the world, hired Earl in 1970. During his tenure, Earl provided his expertise for Fortune 1000 corporations. His clients included Time, Inc., Schlumberger, General Signal Corp., and Integrated Data Services, (IDS). Earl was best known for leading insurance and risk management operations for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit system, the Baltimore Mass Transit system, and the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system. These projects totaled over $10 billion in construction costs. In 1995 Earl was promoted to Principal and Senior Vice President, and given a new assignment, taking responsibility for implementing the global insurance and risk management program for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, GA. Additionally, in that role, he led the Johnson & Higgins team to provide health insurance for over 100,000 athletes and participants within the Olympic family for the entire length of the 1996 games. After retiring in 1997, Earl was appointed to Treasurer of Dekalb County in Atlanta GA. Earl married his high school sweetheart, Ezola Mae Bolden on March 20, 1952. Married for 71 years, they raised their three children, Earl Leonard, III, Barry, and Robbi in Roselle before moving to Maplewood in 1966. Earl and Ezola were loved and cherished by family, neighbors, friends, and mentees in New Jersey and Martha’s Vineyard where they spent summers in Oak Bluffs. Earl is survived by his three children, Earl III MD (Susann), Barry (Vickee), Robbi Struzziery, and four surviving grandchildren, Earl IV, Jordan, Barry "Brody", and Spencer. A fifth grandchild Ellington predeceased Earl.