Eugene Clark Adams Jr.

Eugene “Clark” Adams, Jr., 78, passed away on March 23, 2023 in his home in Midlothian after a long and valiant battle with multiple cancers. Clark was a loving husband to his wife of 31 years, Patricia “Trish” Adams, and a devoted father to his son, Zachary Adams of Gainesville, FL, and his daughter, Lauren Parnell (Nick) of Dallas, TX. In addition to his immediate family, Clark is survived by sister-in-law Sharon McCormick (Frank), brothers-in-law Elmo (Pamela) and Bill (Michelle) Stephenson, and seven nieces and nephews, several of whom affectionately referred to him as “Uncle Awesome.”

Clark was born January 17, 1945 in New Hanover County, NC and was adopted as an infant by Frances and Eugene Clark Adams, Sr. Clark was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Frederick “Marshall” Adams. He spent most of his childhood in Wilmington, NC before moving to Jacksonville, FL, where he graduated high school. Clark followed that up with a brief stint at Florida State University, where he claims he was asked to leave after ending up in the university’s fountain one too many times. While no one has been able to verify this claim, his fraternity President remained in touch with him throughout his life despite his having only been at the university for one year...so suffice to say, it’s probably true.

Clark later went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of North Florida. He served in the Army National Guard and spent the bulk of his career working for CSX Transportation and its affiliates in Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia. After taking early retirement in 2006 after 38 years of service, Clark became a proud stay-at-home dad to his two children and canine companions. He took this role quite seriously, spending his days chauffeuring the children, running routine “housewife” errands, and heckling umpires and referees on a regular basis. He managed to sneak in a golf game every now and then.

Clark had a larger-than-life presence and a wit sharper than a knife. His dry sense of humor never left him, no matter what health obstacle he faced. Despite his declining health, Clark was thrilled to walk Lauren down the aisle at her wedding last November. While he may have had to walk with a cane, he still managed to welcome Nick into the family with a fist bump at the end of the aisle. Whenever one of his children suffered an injury, Clark would sarcastically console them by saying “it will feel better when it stops hurting”. While those who knew and loved him are still hurting, they know the days ahead will get better with every small reminder of the impact he had on those around him.

A Celebration of Life will be held in Clark’s honor this summer. Burial will be private. Anyone wishing to make a donation in Clark’s name is encouraged to donate to the American Cancer Society (donate.cancer.org).