Henry H. Adams, son of the founder of Turlock’s Assyrian community, died Feb. 3, 2017 at 93. Here he is pictured at in 2005 for a story on his service during World War II. He flew in the Lucky Lady B-29 bomber, which was on standby while the Enola Gay dropped the atom bomb on Japan. Bart Ah You Modesto Bee

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By Nan Austin, February 3, 2017

Henry “Hank” Adams, son of the patriarch of Turlock’s Assyrian community, died Friday at the age of 92.

A Turlock native, he graduated from Turlock High School in 1943 and enlisted at Castle Air Force Base in Atwater at 18. In World War II, Mr. Adams served as an Army Air Corps flight officer and bombardier, participating in more than 20 bombing missions against Tokyo. He was on the Lucky Lady B-29 while it stood by as backup for the Enola Gay as it dropped the first atom bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.

He left the service as a lieutenant at 22, moving to San Francisco where he married Joanne Tuohey in 1955. Mr. Adams later worked at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space in Sunnyvale, where he was an engineer and supervisor in the sensors department. He retired in 1989 and the couple moved to Turlock.

Mr. Adams was one of eight children born to the Rev. Isaac and Sarah Adams, who settled in Turlock in 1911. Isaac Adams helped establish the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East, Mar Adai Parish, and encouraged other Assyrians to come and farm in the region. An estimated 20,000 Assyrians live in Turlock today, the largest such community in California.

The Assyrian Festival held by the church each year honored Mr. Adams in a ceremony at its August event.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Joanne; two daughters, Nora Adams and Nellie Adams-Morse; two grandchildren; and sister Florence Essa Johnson.

*Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Feb. 9 at Turlock Memorial Park, 575 N. Soderquist Road, Turlock.