Bert Junior Adair, 85, beloved husband, father, son, brother and friend, slipped away from us peacefully early Saturday morning, July 23, 2011 while living in the Rexburg Care and Rehabilitation Center. Bert has been leaving us little by little, day by day for the last eight years through his decline with Alzheimers. Born July 31, 1925 in San Bernardino, California to Dagbert Moroni Adair and Fiametta Smith Adair, he grew up in Hinckley Utah with older brother Joseph Smith Adair, elder sisters, Adeline Adair Reese, and Virginia Adair Christiansen. They moved to Provo where Bert took up the violin, carrying the violin to lessons in a paper bag. He met his sweetheart Maxine Strong at Provo High School where they played in the orchestra and string quartet together. They courted until Bert left BYU to serve in the US Army, serving in the battles of Ardennes, Rhineland and Central Europe during World War II. Bert and Maxine wrote letters through the course of the war and he made many wonderful friends in military service. When he returned, Bert and Maxine were married in the Salt Lake Temple on June 6, 1947. They lived initially in Provo, Utah then moved to California where he worked as a carpenter and progressed to sheetrock estimating. Bert could craft anything with wood. They settled in Redwood City, California where they became parents of Richard Bert and Colleen "Tina", and then baby Mark Timothy, who died at 18 months of heart problems. Moving to Santa Clara, California, Bert and Maxine opened their own photography business and Bert continued to work in construction. They were active and made many friends in Santa Clara, including the Dirty Dozen, a group of 6 couples that came together monthly for dinner. Bert and Maxine moved to Bend, Oregon in 1980. They loved the beauty of that town, and made many close friends. In 2004 Bert and Maxine moved to Rexburg, Idaho, where they have been warmly received.

Bert loved kids and was a long-time Scoutmaster and Halloween spook alley creator. He spearheaded exciting snow tubing trips and was famous for his tubing jumps, chili and homemade root beer. He was known to the kids as the "balloon man" and gathered animals and kids around him with no effort. Bert was a loving father, who taught his two children by example. He was a born camper and shared with us his love of the outdoors, making us all love the outdoors with him. We had trips to Big Basin, San Mateo Memorial Park, Tahoe and Yosemite. Bert was a "garage-saler" who could spot a bargain from a distance, an animal whisperer who charmed a goat named Petruchio, and could bring a chicken home when he called. Dad rescued mom from Petruchio the goat one day.

Bert was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and served for many years as a Scoutmaster to his own son and the other boys of the ward. He served in a Bishopric, and found his life's calling as a faithful home teacher to many widows for whom he performed endless hours of service.

Bert was preceded in death by his parents, siblings, and his infant son Mark Timothy Adair. He is survived by his wife, Maxine Strong Adair, by his children, Richard Bert (Pamela) Adair and Colleen "Tina" Adair, and by his six grandchildren, Gregory Bert (Jennifer) Adair, Thomas Bradley (Emily) Adair, Brian Patrick (Jami) Adair, Julie Christine (Clay) Doman, John Richard (Bethany) Adair, and Daniel Blackham (Rachael) Adair. He has 17 great-grandchildren, with another soon to be born.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, July 30, 2011, at the Stonebridge Ward LDS Chapel in Rexburg, Idaho. A brief graveside service will be held prior to the burial.

The family would like to thank the wonderful caregivers at Rexburg Care and Rehabilitation Center for the loving, compassionate care they provided him during the last months of his life. Thanks to Angie Eckman and others of Rexburg Home Health, and to Hospice of Eastern Idaho for their loving care of Bert.