Wesley Thadeus Adams Jr.

He leaves his wife of 73 years, Mary (Blackley) Adams, son, Wesley Thaddeus Adams, III, (Yes, his middle name has two “d”s) daughter-in-law Betty Adams, daughter Andrea Adams Wuori, son-in-law Dick Wuori, granddaughter Alissa Brooke Adams, and many close friends. Born and raised in Henderson, NC, the son of Wesley Thadeus Adams, Sr. and Alton Roosevelt (Rooker) Adams, his adult years were spent in Raleigh and then in Greensboro.

Like many millions of other men and women born in the 1920's, his life turned on the axis of World War II. He was drafted out of high school in March, 1943 into the United States Army. After basic training he served at Army facilities in Atlanta, Georgia and in Pomona, California before being shipped overseas to England in January, 1944 in preparation for the invasion of continental Europe. From February, 1944 until after the Normandy Invasion in June, 1944 he served in a special engineering unit that designed and installed waterproofing equipment on ships and vehicles that were part of the Invasion. After the Invasion he was based with his unit in Paris until the end of the war in Europe. His unit equipped and modernized various automotive plants near Paris that had been previously operated by the Germans during Germany’s occupation of France, which were then used by the US Army to repair military vehicles.

When the war in the Pacific ended in August, 1945 he was on a troop ship headed for the Pacific and the war against Japan. His ship turned around and he arrived back in the United States in September, 1945. He married his sweetheart, Mary, on September 10, 1945. He had met her shortly before being deployed to Europe, and they fell in love as a result of many, many letters they exchanged during his service in the Army.

After his discharge he found employment in the wholesale hardware business in 1946 and spent his entire career in that industry.

Mr. Adams’ two lifelong interests were music and woodworking. He had a beautiful tenor voice that he put to use in church choirs from childhood. During his life, and especially after his retirement, he crafted beautiful furniture and other wooden articles which he gave to friends and family, and sold to gift shops and wineries in various parts of the United States, including Hawaii and California. He particularly enjoyed socializing and exchanging ideas and techniques with his many woodworker friends.

After retirement he was a member of a volunteer construction team that traveled throughout the Southeast building churches for new or growing Baptist congregations.

Born and raised a Methodist, he was a member of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Raleigh from 1946 until 1970, and thereafter a member of First Baptist Church in Greensboro until his death.

A memorial service will be held on April, 5 at First Baptist Church, Greensboro at 2 pm. His family requests that any memorials be made to First Baptist Church, Greensboro or Beacon Place Hospice, Greensboro.