Obituary for Art Adams. Published in Tallahassee Democrat from Jan. 12
to Jan. 14, 2017.
Arthur
Stephen (Adzima) Adams, 91, was born August 20, 1925 in Bayonne NJ, the son
of Stephen Thomas (Adzima) Adams and Consuelo V. Wilson Adzima and died
January 8, 2017 at the Big Bend Hospice house. Art's father changed the
family name to Adams. While growing up in Brooklyn, New York, Artie Adams
worked on tug boats in the New York harbor then served his country
honorably in WW 2 with the US Army Corps of Engineers. A gifted athlete,
Ace Adams led his Brooklyn neighborhood Prospect Park YMCA basketball team
to the national championship in Madison Square Garden which earned him an
invitation to the 1948 London Olympic trials. With his basketball skills
and the GI bill, Art came to Tallahassee to play for the FSU Seminoles
under coach Bud Kennedy and was elected captain of the 1948/49 team while
earning his BS and MS Business degrees.Art was a Seminole Alumnus, Booster,
Varsity Club president and Tip-Off Club founder.
Art had a 37 year
career serving the people of the State of Florida including positions as
Personnel Director at Florida State University and Assistant to the
President at Florida A & M University. He also served as Personnel Director
of the Industrial Commission, Youth Services and Health and Rehabilitative
Services. Following retirement from the State, Art had a 20 year career as
Vice President of Retirement Services, Capital Insurance Agency. A true
friend and companion, he enjoyed many fishing trips to the Upper Peninsula,
his weekly poker games, and was an active member of Elk's Lodge 937.
Art
was predeceased by his loving wife Deanne McPherson Adams, and the mother
of his children, Dorothy Sullivan Adams. He is survived by his son Steve
(Katie) Adams, daughters Connie (Ed) Gilbert and Ellen (Joe) Mackey,
granddaughters Heather Gilbert, Caila Armfield, Liza Mackey and his beloved
Susan Shiver, Chelsea Caldwell, Chandler Chancellor, Donnie and Cindy
Nichols, Brandon Nichols, Joe and Karen Shiver, Gary Wayne Shiver, Walter
Shiver and Jessie Shiver and a host of loving relatives and friends.
