Lorraine Whitman Adams

Fort Worth native Lorraine Adams, aged 84, has joined her husband Fred, and son Fred 3, in the hereafter. Lorraine passed away at home, on Sunday August 24th 2014, in the company of her family and dear friends. She is survived by sons Alvin and Mark Adams.

Fred and Lorraine were married for 59 years and would have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on July 4th, 2014.

Lorraine Whitman began life in Fort Worth Texas, born to Florence Morton and Laurence Whitman. They lived on Shirley Street, adjacent to Texas Christian University, where her father was Chairman of the Chemistry Department. She grew up on Shirley Street with her older brother, Jim and their pet dog "Bonzo". Perhaps it was there where her lifelong love of canines began. After graduating from Paschal High School, where she formed everlasting friendships with her classmates, she attended TCU. Following her fathers untimely death, she moved to Austin with her mother, where she majored in Art at the University of Texas, while her brother became an Aerospace Engineer at Texas A&M University. Lorraine then began working, at the Texas Plumbing Board.

She met her husband, Frederick Ward Adams, Jr. on July 4th, 1950 at Hamilton's Pool, a popular swimming hole and picnic area west of Austin. They were married 4 years later on July 4th, 1954.

The newlyweds traveled to California seeking adventure in their new life together. Fred bought a sailboat and named it the Vim. He entered it, along with a 6 man crew, and competed in the San Diego to Acapulco yacht race. The young couple spent the next 5 months sailing their 42' sloop back up the Mexican Coast. As these two "greenhorns" from Texas sailed up the coast, they explored nearly every port along the way. These included Zihuatanejo, Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas and numerous tiny "fishing villages", as well as the uninhabited Tres Marias Islands. They often spent a week or two in their favorite spots and met many interesting people.

When arriving back in San Diego, they tied up at the San Diego Yacht Club, the sponsor of the Acapulco yacht race, where they "Dry Docked" and refurbished the Vim. Lorraine worked across the harbor at the Naval Base Point Loma, earning official praise for improving efficiency. When they couldn't afford the brake repairs on their car, Lorraine "adopted" the runt, from a litter of puppies in the back of the garage, and the mechanic called it "even". They named the pup "Vimo", the first of many rescue dogs to come.

With the restoration of the Vim completed, they sailed up to Newport Beach and the LA area where they settled in to life on the boat, with many of their boating friends at Henry's Yacht Anchorage. This proved to be most convenient for taking many holiday outings to Little Geiger Cove, a private anchorage located on Catalina Island. During this time, Lorraine became First Mate, on the very first All-Girl crew in an International Yacht Race. These six beautiful, fun-loving and talented young ladies, caused quite a stir, and lots of publicity in the papers.

However, all good things must come to an end, and after selling the boat, they moved back to Austin. Fred rejoined the Adams Extract Company as Vice President of Marketing and Director. Fred and Lorraine had three sons: Fred Adams III (deceased), Alvin and Mark. The family grew up with "Vimo", who lived for 17 years. Afterward, she "allowed" the boys to adopt two stray dogs, "Pucci & Brandy", they found one day during a trip with their father to the Extract factory.

Always busy, Lorraine worked as a secretary to the Inspector General at Camp Mabry, hand painted needlepoint canvasses at Rays of Austin, and even started her own Architect & Consulting company, Lorraine Adams and Associates. During that time, she built the Casa Pecana Apartments, (located behind the Chuys restaurant on Barton Springs Rd) and a Chinese Restaurant on Burnet Rd. Lorraine then worked for Girling Healthcare for 18 years, as Administrative Assistant to Bettie Girling, President of Girling Healthcare. Her friendship with Bettie began before and continued after her workdays were over.

Lorraine was active in numerous local and civic organizations: The Austin Symphony, The Womans Symphony League, Director of the Opera Guild International, The National Society of Arts and Letters, President of the Junior Austin Womans Club, the Austin Lyric Opera, (where she was honored as the "Volunteer of the Year" and received the coveted Bravo Award), the Austin Kennel Club (where she served as a Delegate to the American Kennel Club) and the Highland Lakes Basset Hound Association (serving as Show Chairman for many years).

Her love and passion was Old English Sheepdogs. While attending an Austin Kennel Club dog show, she met a gorgeous OES and its owner. She fell in love with the breed and just had to have one. She contacted Walter Long, who she knew owned sheepdogs, and asked him where to go. He directed her to the Gooches, owners of the Farleydene Kennels in England. After much negotiation, they agreed to send "Bumble" to Texas, but only with the understanding that the dog was not to be put to work! Lorraine founded Maidstone Kennel and soon one dog grew to five. The Adams family traveled the country, coast to coast, showing their Old English Sheepdogs (twice competing at the Westminster Kennel Club show in New York). During her time as a breeder, Lorraine bred and raised numerous Champions, including Ch Maidstones Amazing Zorro, a Best in Show winning sheepdog handled by her son Alvin. After the sheepdogs, Lorraine yearned for canine companionship and adopted a wonderful Border Collie named "Blue", from the the Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch, several miles from Kerrville TX. Several years later, Blue succumbed to Cancer and Fred and Alvin found a loving Blue Heeler/Cattle Dog mix at the Austin Humane Society and brought "Ricki" home.

Up until a few years ago, Lorraine attended the Paschal Girls Reunion in Fort Worth, an annual gathering of her Pascal High School classmates.

Alvin helped Fred and Lorraine care for his brother Fred 3, who passed away from a brain tumor in 1999. Since 2009, Alvin lived with Fred and Lorraine to help care for them during their twilight years. Fred passed away on April 22nd 2014. Many heartfelt thanks are owed to Bettie Girling, all the staff of Girling Healthcare and the Hospice personnel who have helped so much, cared for and loved Lorraine.

Fred and Lorraine are survived by their sons Alvin & Mark Adams and Fred's younger brother, Lawrence Adams. They were preceded in death by their first son, Fred Adams III and Lorraine's brother, James P. Whitman & his wife Ruth.

A Celebration of the life of Lorraine Whitman Adams will be held Saturday September 6th 2014, at 2:00 PM at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home, 3125 North Lamar Blvd, Austin TX, 78705, 512-452-8811

All Friends and Family are Welcomed to come and share their memories. Informal/Casual Attire OK.