Sylvia Burr Adams

Sylvia Burr Adams passed on June 25, 2026, at the age of 70. Beloved wife of Steven Wayne Adams; devoted mother of Christina Shaw and her husband Jake, Julia Wilhoit and her husband Steven, Aaron Adams and his wife Charlene, Glen Adams and his wife Nicole, Angela Abrahamovich and her husband Walker, and Joanna Adams; dear grandmother of Hannah, Jacob, Micah, AJ, Daisy, Andrew, Matthew, Shawn, Riley, Nathaniel, Logan, Ethan, Natalie, and Claire; loving sister of Evelyn Anderson, Kathy Burr, and Trisha Arnold. Also survived by many loving nieces, nephews and extended family and friends.

The last words Sylvia Adams said to her family were “I love you, too,” but the second last words she said were “God is in control.” She believed this with all her heart and had lived it so many times before. She had survived a stroke, three different cancers, liver failure and a liver transplant, kidney failure, a heart attack and triple bypass surgery, and multiple issues with sepsis, bowel obstructions, hernias, and other infections. God had brought her through it all. He was the one who preserved her life time and time again. And she had no problem telling anyone she met that the only reason she was still alive was because of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She loved Jesus with all her heart. She loved going to church, especially for praise and worship nights. How she loved to sing and worship God. She would read her Bible with her husband and prayed often when she was awake at night and couldn’t sleep. She was gracious and charitable in her thoughts toward others, even bad drivers who cut her off, she would say, “You never know what that driver is going through. They might be trying to get to the hospital.”

She also loved her family. There were so many sacrifices she made for her husband and children. She started homeschooling when her oldest of six was three and kept going until her youngest graduated 21 years later. She loved holidays, and any time one of her children or grandchildren came to visit was an impromptu holiday, even if they lived only two minutes away. She was so proud of all her children and grandchildren talking often about them to anyone who would listen. Every moment she spent with her parents or sisters and their families was a joy to her. Cooking for everyone was one of her many strengths and she loved hosting big gatherings.

When she wasn’t busy elsewhere she loved to garden, like her dad, and took great joy in tomatoes and strawberries and the occasional asparagus. For many years she worked as an RN at Johns Hopkins and was the first to want to see any injury or ailment. She loved science, especially the medical field. In everything she did she would be reminded of God. The wonder and beauty of nature, how the human body worked, the adventure and love of family all pointed back to him. Her life and how she lived did too.

A Celebration of Life for Sylvia will be held on Wednesday July 1st, from 6PM to 8PM at Mt. Zion Church.

1643 E Churchville Rd, Bel Air, MD 21015.

If desired contributions may be made in Sylvia’s memory to the Dwell City Church 715 Moores Mill Rd., Bel Air, MD 21014

https://www.dwellcitychurch.com