David W. Adams

David Ward Adams was born on July 7, 1970, in Sitka, Alaska, to LeRoy Adams and Rayanne (Duffey) Adams. He never really knew his father, and as a child he moved around with his siblings before eventually settling in Kittitas County with his mom, stepdad, and family. Despite the odds stacked against him, Dave graduated from Ellensburg High School in 1989, something he was proud of, and many of those classmates remained some of his closest friends throughout his life.

After high school, Dave went to work for Flood Construction building pole barns, where he worked his way up to foreman through hard work, skill, and determination.

Life has a way of bringing people together in unexpected ways. At just 14 years old, Dave got a job at Wegner Ranch, where he first met Leann and her daughters, Amanda and Kelsey. During his senior year of high school, he lived with them, and Leann proudly attended his high school graduation. Years later, in the early 1990s, their paths crossed again when Dave was coaching the girls’ T-ball team. What started as a reconnection quickly grew into something more. They married and went on to have two more daughters, Dakota and Dalee.

In 1995, Dave was hired at the local Ellensburg telephone company, where he worked until his health began to decline in 2024. The “phone company” gave him lifelong friendships, a steady income, and a place where his stories and humor always had an audience.

With his strong work ethic and construction knowledge, Dave built two homes where he raised his family, both overlooking the valley with a view of Mount Rainier.

Dave was the ultimate girl dad, spending countless weekends at tournaments, pageants, and shopping trips! Dave loved his girls. It was rare to see Dave without one of his girls tagging along. He also loved sports, horses, fishing, hunting, projects, his dogs, and, of course, rodeo.

One of the greatest passions of Dave’s life was the Ellensburg Rodeo. He began as a volunteer with the Top Hands and dedicated countless hours for nearly 30 years, doing whatever was needed, parking, grounds work, and anything in between. Eventually, he was elected to the Ellensburg Rodeo Board, an honor he carried with pride, hard work, and heart. He played an important role in building relationships with the Yakama Nation and was deeply committed to preserving the traditions and spirit of rodeo.

Dave loved everything rodeo stood for, the grit, the western way of life, the patriotism, the sense of community it brought to Ellensburg, and his rodeo family. He rarely missed a chance to attend other rodeos, especially the Calgary Stampede, Cheyenne Frontier Days, and the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

Dave also loved the simple things: pepperoni pizza (with olives), Tim’s Cascade jalapeño chips, Pepsi, and ice cream, especially mint chocolate chip. A can of Copenhagen will always remind us of him, along with his very strong dislike of meatloaf. He was rarely seen without a baseball cap or cowboy hat, boots, and sunglasses.

Dave passed away unexpectedly on the morning of April 2, 2026.

There are countless memories we will carry with him forever, and we know his friends have just as many stories filled with laughter, chaos, and good times from the 55 years he spent on this earth.

But we also want to acknowledge a part of Dave’s story that isn’t always easy to talk about, in hopes that it might help someone else.

Dave spent much of his life battling his relationship with alcohol. While he mostly appeared to be functioning on the outside, it was a constant struggle behind closed doors, one that impacted his health and relationships. There were seasons where he fought hard and found success, but it remained a lifelong battle that brought both pain and strength.

We want to thank everyone who stood by him through that fight. We know that loving someone through this is not easy, and we are grateful for those who didn’t give up on him. We hope that by sharing this part of Dave’s story, others might feel less alone and be encouraged to seek help, offer support, or make a change.

Although they were separated at the time, Dave is survived by his wife, Leann, who stood beside him through more than 30 years of life’s highs and lows. Their love was both beautiful and broken, and we know he carried that love with him until the end.

He is also survived by his daughters: Amanda (Pete) Ross and their children, Jenevieve, Jameson, Jacqueline, Joshua, and Juliette; Kelsey (Derek) Haney and their children, Christian, Tyler, Waylon David, Emma, Lane, Locke, and Liv; Dakota (Paul) Fitzgerald and their son, Dash; and Dalee Adams, whose future spouse will no doubt be handpicked by her dad from heaven. He is also survived by his loyal dog, Trump.

Dave will be missed deeply, remembered often, and talked about forever.

In lieu of flowers, the girls plan to honor Dave by starting a rodeo scholarship in his memory. More details will be shared soon.

A celebration of Dave’s life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 19, 2026 at the Western Village at the Ellensburg Rodeo Grounds. Viewing will be Tuesday, April 14 from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. at Johnston & Williams Funeral Home in Ellensburg.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Johnston & Williams of Ellensburg. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.johnston-williams.com