Meet the Members of Snowberry Commons
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After a career spanning architecture, building codes, and construction, I've officially retired — and it turns out, retirement is fantastic.
When I'm not hitting the XC ski trails in winter or hiking in summer, you'll find me growing food at my P-Patch, keeping my 100-year-old home from falling apart, or taking off on road trips and world travels with friends. (The to-do list is long, and I love it.)
A confirmed introvert, I'm genuinely excited to be part of the Snowberry Commons community. I know that living in community will help me avoid the isolation common to most aging-in-place options.
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I'm Gordon Dass Adams — a retired computer support professional with a background that spans medical research, engineering, and software development. These days, my focus has shifted to things closer to the ground: urban forestry, gardening, and keeping the tech running smoothly for our cohousing community.
When I'm not digging in the dirt or troubleshooting computers, you'll find me out in the world. I have a special love for Morocco and Switzerland, and a deep connection to the outdoors that I express through landscape photography, birdwatching, and the occasional unforgettable solo hike.
At the heart of it all is family and friends — especially my grandson here in Seattle. More than anything, my dream is to put down roots in a cohousing community in this city, where connection and community are built right into the neighborhood.
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After a career spanning social services, tech support, and bookkeeping, I’ve found that the common thread in everything I do is a love for helping people. Whether I was navigating a grocery store’s tech issues or managing the books for a landscaping design company, I always thrived on solving problems and supporting others.
These days, my "work" looks a little different. You’ll often find me in the garden, traveling the Southwest in our camper, or visiting family in Italy. I’m also embracing my creative side as a fledgling fabric artist. I am deeply passionate about the co-housing movement and love the collaborative process of designing our community. I’m looking forward to the laughter, the problem-solving, and the new faces that will help make this group a home.
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A Western Washington native, I've lived in London, Amsterdam and Versailles before settling in Seattle with my husband and three children over 25 years ago.
Since leaving my career as a mediator, I've dedicated myself to learning Spanish — cycling to classes at the UW, joining conversation groups and book clubs, and traveling to Guatemala, Peru, and Mexico. I hope to continue traveling to other parts of Latin America in the years ahead.
I look forward to living in community with others who share my values.
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Being a founding member of Snowberry Commons is just the latest in my long line of community-centered endeavors. I like being busy! With previous careers in psychology practice and teaching, community development and affordable housing, I bring lots of experience to my roles at Snowberry Commons. Reading, basket making, hiking and gardening are among my favorite activities. I'm a long-time Seattle resident with all of my extended family, including 15 grandchildren, living in the area, so I am committed to staying in Seattle. Having enjoyed various forms of shared living most of my adult life, I’m very excited about living my later years in a vibrant community of peers at Snowberry Commons, a longtime dream.
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My folks are from Lithuania, and although I grew up on the East Coast, I spent 10 years living and working in Western Europe and still have family in France. My wife and I moved back to the US 25 years ago, when our two oldest children (Irish Twins) were ready to enter school. In Seattle, I've been lucky to work on a number of different projects including helping to found a second Waldorf K-8 school and to develop affordable housing alternatives in Snohomish and King County. My interests include music, Tai Chi and Qi gong. I was a print journalist for many years and still fantasize about writing a novel or narrative non-fiction.
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A lifelong adventurer and craftsman, I've worn many hats — ship's captain, commercial fisherman, ski instructor, general contractor, and master cabinet maker. Since settling in Seattle in 2010, I've balanced a love for the Pacific Northwest with a deep pull toward the American Southwest, where my wife and I explore the desert in our van and I volunteer with the Samaritans providing humanitarian aid at the border.
A builder at heart, my wife and I have constructed or remodeled four homes together. I'm an enthusiastic woodturner and furniture maker, an avid golfer, and a dedicated grandfather to four. I'm most at home when I'm creating something with my hands or exploring the outdoors.