Janice Lee Adams

Jan was born on April 18, 1937, in Kansas City, Missouri to Alfred and Jeanne Knox and had one sister, Carol.

She is survived by her sister, her three children: daughters Kelli (and husband, Don) Dome, Kris (and husband, Tony) Schellhamer and son Kyle (and wife, Shannon) Adams, eight grandchildren and their spouses, and six great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother-in-law, and her third grandson.

Jan was raised on a dairy farm in small-town Tonganoxie, Kansas. She loved that farm, and especially loved riding her horses. Her mother taught her and her sister, along with all the other local children, in a one-room schoolhouse through 8th grade.

Jan graduated from Tonganoxie (Kansas) High School in 1954 and Nurse’s training from St. Luke’s Hospital, in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1957. She began her nursing career in Denver, Colorado, worked in and around Kansas City, Missouri, Dodge City, Kansas, and moved to Amarillo, Texas and finally retired from the Veteran’s Administration Hospital there. She loved being a Registered Nurse and her passion for helping people continued through her career that spanned four decades. She also loved being a mom. Jan married and raised three children. Their family lived in Denver, Colorado, McPherson, Kansas, and Dodge City, Kansas before she moved to Texas.

Retirement was good for her. She golfed every day that she could, traveled to some wonderful places, and turned her focus to her beautiful garden and her grandchildren.

Jan’s final move was to Longboat Key, Florida where she said she found her Heaven. She found a 55+ community that embraced her from day one, bought a little turquoise Mini Cooper convertible, and loved her Florida garden and a patio filled with seashells, each one with a special story. She loved the sun, the beach, the bay, boating, shopping, and cooking. She attended Longboat Island Chapel, was active in the church, served on the social committee in her community, attended and sometimes led morning and evening water aerobics, played games (sometimes even won her money back), and made so many friends she loved, and who loved her back!

Known for her big heart and unconditional love, she will be dearly missed by all who knew her. Jan cared deeply for her family and neighbors. She was always the first to offer help, she brought meals to homes of sick or hurting neighbors and she always made sure that everyone on her journey felt loved, welcome, and safe. She lived and loved Big!

The family requests donations in Jan’s name to BSA Harrington Cancer Center in Amarillo, Texas, or to Longboat Island Chapel on Longboat Key, Florida in lieu of flowers.

Family will gather at her final resting place in Kansas City, Missouri to celebrate her life.