William J. "Bill" Adams, 95 years of age, went home to be with the Lord and his beloved wife, Dee, on December 28, 2019. Born in Hamilton, Ohio, he lived in Mogadore for most of his life. Bill graduated from East High School in 1942. He served in the U.S. Army in WWII and also in Korea. Bill was a member of St. Matthew and Our Lady of Victory parishes. Preceded in death by his parents, Richard and Catherine Adams; his siblings, Richard and MaryAnn; and his wife, Dee; he is survived by his sons, Mike (Ingrid), Pat (Karen), Dennis (Tanya), and Chris (Joyce); grandchildren, Elizabeth, Josh, Ben, Matt, Kristy, Kelsey, Lesley, Lauren, Andrew, Brodie, Brandon, Corey and Cameron; and fourteen great grandchildren. Bill was an active member of Mogadore's Lions Club, and credited the relationships developed through this service organization with helping him to secure the position of Principal of O.H. Somers Elementary, which he held for 22 years. He loved his job as an educator and administrator, and knew he was privileged to positively influence future generations. These activities deeply connected him to this tight-knit and beloved community. Grateful is a good word to summarize Bill's posture wherever he found himself. Post retirement, Bill enjoyed golf, sailing on Lake Erie, travel, and watching his family mature and expand. He was an avid reader, capable of consuming a book in one sitting. He was a snow bird, attracted to the sun and blue skies of Gulf Shores, Alabama after the Christmas holidays until Spring would bring him and Dee back home to Mogadore. "Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." Marcel Proust. Family and friends will be received Sunday, January 5, 2020, from 2 to 5 p.m. at Hopkins Lawver Funeral Home, 34 S. Cleveland Avenue (Route 532), Mogadore, Ohio 44260. Funeral Mass will be celebrated Monday, January 6, 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church, 73 North Avenue, Tallmadge, Ohio 44278 with Father Michael Matusz presiding. Procession will form at the church. Burial will follow at Greenwood Cemetery in Mogadore with military honors. Family suggests memorial donations be made to Mogadore Alumni Association, 1 S. Cleveland Ave, Mogadore, Ohio 44260. (Hopkins Lawver, MOGADORE, 330-733-6271) www.hopkinslawver.com
Published in Akron Beacon Journal on Jan. 3, 2020