James Francis Adams, 94, passed away on Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at Brighton Gardens Senior Living in Dunwoody, Georgia. Born January 7, 1929 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania he was the son of the late John Morse, Sr. and Elizabeth Wyckoff Adams who preceded him in death. He was also preceded in death by his wife, Lucia Foster Adams and his brothers - John Morse Adams, Jr, W.W. Adams (Bro) and is survived by his sister, Sybil Adams Herron.
He is also survived by his five children: James F. Adams, Jr. (Chip) and wife Heather; D. Scott Adams, wife Beth, and children Jamie, Erin, and Abigail; Thomas (Tommy) W. Adams, and children Logan, Colin, and Griffin; Elizabeth (Wendy) A. and husband Fred Steck and children Julia, Lily, and Sophie; Andrew M. Adams, former wife Alyssa Pinkerton and children Otis and Lulu; and step-daughter Page and husband Fred Holmquist.
Mr. Adams was raised in Sewickley, Pennsylvania. He attended the Osborne School, the Sewickley Academy, and St. Andrew's School in Delaware. He attended Brown University from 1948 to 1950. Mr. Adams served in the U.S. Navy from 1950 to 1952. Upon discharge from the Navy, Mr. Adams transferred to the University of Virginia and received his BA in History in June 1955. He was awarded a Ford Foundation Fellowship to attend Yale University, where he received his Master of Arts in Teaching degree in 1956.
Mr. Adams then began a long and distinguished career in education, serving as a teacher at North Haven High School from 1956 to 1958. He then joined the faculty of the Tatnall School in Wilmington, Delaware where he served in various capacities from 1958 to 1968. That is also where he met Lucia who he married in 1963.
In 1968, Mr. Adams was appointed Headmaster of the Montgomery Academy in Montgomery, Alabama where he served from 1968 to 1973. From 1973 to 1990, he served as Headmaster of East Woods School in Oyster Bay, New York. His final role as Headmaster was at St. Margaret's McTernan School in Waterbury, Connecticut from 1990 to 1994.
Mr. Adams was a founding member of the Alabama Association of Independent Schools, a trustee of the New York State Association of Independent Schools, a member of the Country Day Headmasters Association, and a charter member of the Elementary School Heads Association (ESHA), where he served as president from 1984 to 1985.
Upon retirement in 1994, he and Lucia, settled in Cashiers, North Carolina. Mr. Adams became an advisor to the Hampton Preschool in Cashiers. Soon after, he became involved in the several-year creation of Summit Charter School in Cashiers. Mr. Adams served on the school's board for six years and was the first recipient of the Summit Charter School Outstanding Service Award. He was also an ardent Pittsburgh Pirates fan, a voracious reader, and loved to travel.
A celebration of his life will be announced at a later date. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to Summit Charter School, Cashiers, NC.
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