Jeffery “Adam” Dorrow always greeted people with a smile, firm handshake or hug.
Despite being born and raised in the small river town of New Braunfels, Adam had a larger-than-life personality.
Adam was someone who cared deeply about his friends and family, especially his little brothers and best friends, Luke and Nick. He kept them close and protected them at all costs, Adam’s father, Jeff, said.
At the age of seven, Adam experienced something no child should ever have to endure when his mother, Karen, died. After this tragedy, he took his role of big brother even more seriously and became his brothers’ confidant and friend, while serving as a helping hand to his father.
While Adam wasn’t the biggest or tallest person, he more than made up for his stature with his confidence and positive attitude, Luke said. He knew who he was and always stayed true to himself, which is one of many reasons why people were always so drawn to Adam.
If there was ever work to be done, Adam was the guy people could count on.
“Adam loved working with his hands to build things,” Jeff said. “[He] was always there to lead the charge to get things done if there was work to be done.”
Adam was an involved member of his fraternity at Texas A&M, Delta Tau Delta. Luke, who is also a member of Delta Tau Delta, said his fraternity brothers remember Adam as someone who would always pick them up when they were down, always took a genuine interest in what others had going on in their lives and brought a light to the chapter like no one else. Luke said Adam cherished being an Aggie Delt, and his fraternity brothers loved him.
Adam’s dad said Adam frequently talked about how he loved being an Aggie, just about as much as anything else in his life. Even at an early age, he was singing songs often played in Kyle Field.
“I would take Adam and his brother Luke to daycare every morning on my way to work,” Jeff said. “I had a CD in the car that Adam played every day, rain or shine.
“Both boys would sing every word to Alabama’s song, ‘If You’re Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band).’ The song became as big a piece of our day-to-day routine as brushing teeth or getting dressed. We almost wore that CD out over the years, and it still brings back sweet memories every time I hear that song.”
As a student in Mays, Adam was a businessman at his core, his dad said, and dreamed of owning his own company one day, which most definitely would have been wildly successful due to his wit and business savvy personality.
Overall, he loved and cared deeply for the people in his life.
One specific attribute of Adam that stood out was his loyalty and positive outlook on life, Luke said.
“He could be doing the worst thing in the world, and he’d always have a good attitude about it,” Luke said. “He used to be a plumber when we went back home, and he hated it so much. But he’d still work at it everyday and would actually enjoy the people he was with, even though he never knew them.”
Adam is remembered by every person he met in the most positive of lights. He’s remembered for his smile. He’s remembered for being unapologetically, well, Adam. And, of course, he’s remembered for his “perfect hair,” his dad said.