Harvey John Adkins

Harvey John Adkins, 59, of 910 Woodland Avenue, Johnson City, died Saturday, June 23, 2007 at his residence after succumbing to mantle cell lymphoma. He was a native of Oklahoma, son of the late George and Mary Francis McKelvey Adkins. Harvey joined the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps during his undergraduate years at the University of Oklahoma, a product of a parochial school system. On receiving his B.S. degree, he was commissioned and sent to a ship based out of Mayport, Florida. Following his service in the Navy he returned to the University of Oklahoma and pursued a Ph. D. in microbiology. Then returned to the U.S. Navy. Although he preferred to be involved in academia, he actually felt the 40 years in the Navy gave him opportunities he would have in no way gotten elsewhere. Extensive travel, living in foreign countries four times, see microbiology in aspects ranging from major hospital work, jungle research in infectious diseases, teaching tropical medicine and parasitology to young physicians, operational medicine and finally, detection and identification of agents of biological warfare under field conditions. At one time he was considered the Navys prime expert in biological warfare and clinical parasitology. Two years following his retirement from the Navy he and his wife Gail moved to Johnson City. Harvey said 'perhaps theres really something to be said for the inspirational power of these old Tennessee mountains. I understand its been a source for artists of all types through many years, and maybe Im feelin the pull lately. Whatever it is, I seem now rested and facing my one more great life adventure as exactly that- A Great Adventure.'? Survivors include: his wife, Gail Adkins of the home; a son, Christopher Adkins of Tulsa, Oklahoma; a daughter, Emily Adkins of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; three brothers, George Adkins of Dallas, Texas, Thomas Adkins of Norman, Oklahoma and John Adkins of Beaverton, Oregon. Harvey is to be cremated and buried in the Mountain Home National Cemetery. The service will be conducted on Thursday, June 28, 2007 at 11:00a a.m. Family and friends are asked to meet at the cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorials are requested to the American Cancer Society, 508 Princeton Road, Suite 102, Johnson City, TN 37601 or the Lymphoma Research Foundation, 111 Broadway, 19th Floor, NY NY 10006.