Lynne Kathryn Adams

The world lost a kind and caring person early Monday, December 1st when Lynne Adams, friend to many, the best mother, a fun grandmother, and lovely mother-in-law, slipped quietly away. She was considerate to the end, waiting until the close of the holiday weekend to not inconvenience anyone, which is exactly how she would have wanted it.

Lynne was born in Wichita, KA on April 25, 1935 (or 1945, or even 1955 when she could get away with saying that). She was life-long resident of Wichita. Her parents, Kermit and Catherine Olson, were pleased to welcome her into the world, and she was joined four years later by her younger sister, Mary.

She grew up in Wichita, attending Wichita East High School before deciding to head to Manhattan and Kansas State University. Lynne almost dropped out of college after failing home economics (a feat she laughingly talked about for years), but her father convinced her to stay, and she successfully earned her English degree three years later. She pledged Kappa Kappa Gamma and was a proud Kappa for the next 72 years. She also met Nugent Adams at KSU, and the fact that he was taller than her convinced her to begin seeing him. Lynne and Nugent married in 1956, proudly welcoming Mark in 1960 and Mike in 1963. Although they would later divorce, Lynne always expressed thankfulness when it came to meeting Nugent as it ultimately resulted in the birth of her two sons.

Fiercely independent, Lynne never remarried, instead choosing to focus on her children and a range of interests and hobbies. She enjoyed reading, playing bridge and Scrabble, traveling, supporting her Kansas State Wildcats, and she was an avid fan of cryptograms and crossword puzzles. She was a longtime supporter of Music Theatre of Wichita and was an MTW Guild member. Lynne delivered Meals-on-Wheels weekly for over 40 years, and she was always the designated chauffeur to and from the airport for her family and friends.

Lynne took great pride in her grandchildren. We laughed when, in the span of about three years, she gained not only two new daughters-in-law when Mark and Mike both remarried but also went from three grandchildren to 11. She took it all in stride, making herself available for sleepovers, summer weekends spent at the family cabin in Council Grove, and, of course, attendance at sporting events and school programs. She was the best kind of parent and grandparent – you knew you could count on her if you needed something, but she never tried to interfere – she truly was selfless, and you knew she cared about you. She could also make a mean batch of Jello, something her grandchildren will remember fondly as one of the only things she “cooked” for them since preparing meals was not exactly her forte (see the home-economics reference above).

Health issues became a larger part of her life over the last 18 months, but Lynne dealt with those in her typical low-key manner. We know she would like everyone to remember her as someone who was an excellent friend, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She’d also appreciate it if you could say she was 75 years old when she passed away.

Lynne is survived by her sister, Mary Boyer, two sons, Mark Adams (Mary) and Michael Adams (Dorothy). Grandchildren include Courtney Johnson (Jordan), Jeremy Perry, Grant Adams (Kayla), Kyndal Silva (Daniel), Jacob Perry, Garrett Adams, Kasen Goodwin, Jenna Owens (Spencer), Mitchell Adams (Regan), Dylan Adams, and Madelynne Adams. She is also survived by four great-grandchildren, Brody Owens, Beckham Owens, Cason Johnson and Noah Johnson and a number of nieces and nephews.

A memorial has been established with Meals-on-Wheels Wichita Senior Services. We are making arrangements now for a service in Wichita and will share that information when it is available.

The family would like to add a special thank you to Dierkson Hospice of Texarkana, Rivercross Hospice of Wichita, KS and to the team at Bunch Woodview Memory Care and Bailey Creek Rehab for their compassionate care and support.

Cremation arrangements are entrusted with East Funeral Home-Moores Lane.

Online tributes can be posted at www.eastfuneralhome.com.