October 5, 1941 – January 6, 2016
Mary Sue Adams, 74 years old, died Wednesday, January 6, 2016, at her home in Kayenta, Utah. After nine years as a cancer survivor, Mary’s battle resumed in recent months, and she was taken from us all too quickly.
Mary was born in Lubbock, Texas, Oct. 5, 1941, to Dr. Orra Robert and Janice Richardson Hand. In 1961, she met the love of her life, Henry Russell Adams. The couple married in 1962 in the bride’s hometown, and in 1963, she graduated from Austin College.
Following Russ’ U.S. Air Force assignments, the pair was stationed in Oklahoma, Illinois, Oregon, Hawaii, Mississippi and finally Virginia. Along the way, the couple became a family as they were joined by a daughter, Jennifer, and son, David. While always a devoted wife and mother, Mary also found satisfaction in her career as a medical technician and office manager for Dr. Francis Sappington in Alexandria, Virginia.
Retiring at a young age, Mary and Russ pulled up stakes and found their piece of paradise in picturesque Southern Utah. A lover of life, Mary enjoyed cooking, wine, travel, learning about other cultures, her home and her family, which grew to include two grandchildren: Alexander and Caroline Springer.
Always a talented crafter, Mary developed a love of quilting and her beautiful designs adorn her home and the homes of those she loved. Quick with a joke and a skilled conversationalist, Mary’s personality earned her many friends who valued her among their most trusted confidantes. To know Mary was to love Mary. She was an integral part in the lives of those who knew her. She will be desperately missed and forever remembered.
The family would like to thank Dr. Judd Larowe and the doctors, nurses and staff of Dixie Regional Medical Center for their excellent care and compassion.
Funeral services
- A celebration of Mary’s life will be held Sunday, Jan. 10, 4 p.m., at the Adams’ home.
Friends and family are invited to share their condolences online.
Arrangements and memorial tree planting have been entrusted to Serenity Funeral Home of Southern Utah, 435-986-2085.