Adam Elliott Tucker

January 29, 1982 – February 14, 2011

Together with their family and friends, Elliott and Jane Tucker wish to announce the loss of their son Adam Elliott Tucker. He left us after a long, painful and valiant struggle with a degenerative back disorder. Adam was born in Santa Barbara on January 29, 1982. He attended SM Parent Child Workshop, Kellogg School, GVJHS, DPHS and UCSB, where he was a proud member of the Vietnamese Student Association. He earned his Master’s degree in Environmental Science from CSU Fullerton in June 2010.

Adam’s great loves in life were his family and friends, but most of all his bikes. From BMX to old school Honda motorcycles, Adam loved everything about building, understanding and using these machines. He spent long hours in the garage with Dad Elliott and all his friends in the SBC crew. He and college friend Vic spent many hours working on the old Hondas that Adam often found or bought for a song, refurbishing them till they were mostly perfect. Many family vacations included Adam’s trusty BMX bike, packed in the back of the van, so he could get out and see the sights from his favorite vantage point.

Adam was a tall, strong, intelligent, handsome man with a tender soul. He could never stand to see the powerless victimized. He helped anyone and everyone he could, feeling their pain to be his own. He saw the beauty in all God’s creatures and would adamantly defend those who needed him. His love extended to plants and animals and he was a tireless defender of the environment, refusing to use more than he needed and pushing those around him to change wasteful behaviors.

Adam had a great sense of the absurd and loved to laugh and goof around. He blazed his own trail boldly. We are so sad that he had to leave us so young, but the weight of his suffering finally became too much to bear and he exited this world on February 14, 2011. We are left with a deep feeling of peace, as we know that Adam left us on his own terms, with his self-respect and dignity intact. We are proud to call this truly amazing brother, son, and friend our own.

Elliott and Jane, and siblings Crista and John invite you to gather with them to remember Adam and the joy he brought to our lives. We will join together at the Elk’s Lodge in Goleta for a memorial and reception on Saturday, March 5 at 1pm.

Ever the humanist and environmentalist, Adam would prefer that the flowers be left to flourish. If you would like to support the causes Adam cared about please make a donation to Kids and Bikes.org, or Casa Esperanza, an organization to help the homeless.