Rachel Williamson Adamec

Rachel Williamson Adamec

After surviving septic shock in early 2018 and battling a series of subsequent health issues, Rachel Williamson Adamec fell on the morning of June 23, 2021, and this time she did not get up.

Rachel was born on July 22, 1958 in Patchogue, NY to the late William Joseph and Grace (Saidler) Adamec, grew up in West Sayville, NY, and spent most of her adult life in the greater Philadelphia area.

Rachel graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with Bachelor of Science (1980) and Master of Engineering (1982) degrees in Electrical Engineering. During that time, she met and married Nancy Aiko Takahashi, her wife until their divorce 14 years later. Rachel completed all but her dissertation for a doctorate program in Adaptive Signal Processing from the University of Maryland, Baltimore Campus (1995) as well as additional coursework towards a Master of Applied Mathematics at Penn State University Capital College and at Drexel University.

Rachel was a senior software engineer and senior electronic development engineer. She applied signal analysis and processing expertise to IoT systems, smart home technology, rail car monitoring systems, radar, CATV systems, commercial aircraft instrumentation, data acquisition, and consumer electronic products. After many years of work deemed too confidential to patent, Rachel was proud of her 2016 patent for "System and Method for Detecting Anomalies in Train Consists and Railcars.”

We remember Rachel as a teacher and a mentor. She held that role officially from 1986 to 1995 as Department Head of Electronic Engineering Technology at the Community College of Philadelphia and Professor of Engineering at Penn State University Mont Alto Campus.

Always interested in entrepreneurship, Rachel spent a year working full time on a company she co-founded, Ecological System Controls, LLC. She designed the minimal viable product for an automatic watering system, created business and marketing plans, and networked extensively with entrepreneurs in the Philadelphia area before a career opportunity took her to the Harrisburg, PA area at the end of 2016.

Rachel took great joy in riding Honda Pacific Coast PC800 motorcycles. She found community with the Internet Pacific Coast Riders Club and the Rainbow Riders of the Delaware Valley, organized weekend rides, and biked as far as Louisiana and Maine. A music lover, Rachel played the French horn and the guitar and enjoyed the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra from “the good seats.” She never stopped dreaming. We wish Rachel happy motorcycle riding and the best seats in the house.

Rachel is survived by her children Kelcy Takahashi Adamec (spouse David Nelson Adamec) and Daniel Ellis William Adamec, and by her sister Jeanmarie (Adamec) Kirkman.

Cremation was private. All are welcome to remember Rachel at a virtual gathering at 1 p.m. Eastern Time on October 24, 2021 or with a delicious meal and a toast in their own celebration of her life. Please email rachel.adamec.memorial@gmail.com for information on joining the virtual gathering.

Rachel’s family encourages those whose lives she touched to share their favorite stories here at https://www.buhrig.com/obituary/Rachel-Williamson-Adamec and add photos of Rachel to the photo album at https://bit.ly/rachel-adamec-photos .