The Legacy of Jake Adams

This GoFundMe was created to honor Jake's legacy and to help aid and support his wife, Windsor and their "little frag". YES, Windsor is 9 weeks pregnant. All donations will go directly to Windsor and their baby.

It is with an incredible amount of pain and sadness that we share the news of the passing of Jake Adams. We know this news has been circulating, and we appreciate all the love, support, and heartfelt stories from his friends and following in the reefing community.

On October 20, 2022, Jake passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. We do not yet know the cause of death. He was traveling to Bali for a dive trip and collapsed on the airplane. He is currently in Taipei, where we are working with the American Institute in Taiwan to bring him home.

The reefkeeping community knows Jake through ReefBuilders.com where he was the managing editor, creating video content, sharing success stories and championing the marine aquarium hobby. Jake also founded ReefStock, a two day aquatic showcase which runs in his home town of Denver. Its 10+ years of success led to the launch of an international counterpart in Sydney. Jake was a regular presenter at both national and international aquatic events. He was always at the forefront of reef aquarium knowledge and endeavored to share that through his talks, videos, articles and more recently his podcast, Reef Therapy.

Jake’s impact on the hobby is immeasurable. He was a staunch advocate of local fish stores. He worked with manufacturers on new ideas and provided timely, accurate information on how the aquatic community could best utilize new products. Jake built the Reef Builders Studio over several years where he maintained aquariums chock full of corals and rare fish that served as the basis for his research and content. He was a coral nerd at heart.

His expertise was developed over many years of observation, trial and error, and working with both the industry and hobby side of aquarium keeping. His foundation in science, drawing from his Bachelor’s degree in Marine Science provided an anchor for his work. Yet, he also maintained the enthusiasm and curiosity of that 14-year-old who started keeping aquariums all those years ago. Jake will be remembered as one of the primary influencers of the past two decades in the aquarium hobby.

Jake was also a beloved husband, son, brother, uncle, and nephew. Over the past several years, he became a real family man. He settled down with his beautiful wife Windsor, who we all love and adore, spent a lot of quality time with his brother and sister Luc and Sonja, and enjoyed playing with his niece and nephews Kaylynn, Seth, Isaac and Enzo. We shared a beautiful family dinner a few days before he left, and I am so grateful for that.

During that dinner, Jake and Windsor announced that they are expecting. Jake was SO excited to tell us and to become a Dad. Windsor is about nine weeks pregnant. A little early to share pregnancy news with the larger community, but we wanted to bring a little light to the situation because Jake didn't leave without leaving some of his soul behind. He left us with his legacy. Please continue to send loving support to Windsor and pray for her and the baby to have a healthy pregnancy.

Jake was the most intelligent and confident person I've ever known. I truly admired the way he lived his life, not following the blueprints our society laid out for us. He forged his own path in unconventional ways, a true pioneer. And it all seemed so effortless for him.

Many supporters of Jake have reached out, wanting to give and contribute in any way they can. We are asking for support for our sister Windsor and "our little frag" (a term of endearment Jake coined for their baby). All donations will go directly to Windsor and help secure her and the baby's future.

With Love,

Luc and Chanelle Adams, Rob Mougey and Matt Pedersen