Alice Adams

Loving mother, grandmother, businesswoman and friend, Alice Faye Thornton Adams, 80, of Cabot, passed away peacefully in her home on November 29, 2015. She was born on January 21, 1935, in Beebe, Arkansas, to Claude and Esther (Fawcett) Thornton. The youngest of eight siblings, Alice was an outgoing girl who became a Badger cheerleader and graduate of Beebe High School. She eloped with Jimmy D. Adams of Searcy in 1953. Together they founded Adams Pest Control of North Little Rock in 1957 and later acquired Adams Pest Control of White County. Alice and Jimmy raised their children in North Little Rock, where they attended Levy United Methodist and later, Indian Hills Baptist Church, and she volunteered for Meals on Wheels. Her head for numbers, sharp bargain hunting, and love for antiques came together as she ran Alice’s Antiques and Gifts in Cabot in the 1990s. Ever an astute businesswoman, Alice continued to lead the pest control businesses after Jimmy’s death in 2003, and in 2010 was named Searcy’s Businesswoman of the Year. A long-time member of Hebron United Methodist Church of Hickory Plains, Alice is survived by her sister, Martha Akin, of Reseda, California; her two children—Luann Wiggins (Geoff) of Roswell, Georgia, and Tim Adams (Judy) of Cabot; four grandchildren—Jamie Tsipliareles (Rich) of Cabot, Timothy Adams (McKenna) of Maumelle, Rachel Lee (Ricky) of Roswell, Georgia, and Esther Smith (Ben) of Marietta, Georgia; four great-grandchildren—Mary Alice and Watson Smith, and Jimmy and Piper Lee; three sisters-in-law—Christine Thornton of Des Arc, Sue Adams of West Memphis, and Sylvia Adams of Benton; Pat Shupe, her long-time caregiver and friend; and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews. She is also survived by her many employees whom she considered family. She is preceded in death by her parents, Claude and Esther; Jimmy, her husband of 49 years; her brothers Howard, James, Charles, and Bill; her sisters, Carolyn and Melba, and her infant grandson, Matthew. What a reunion there is today!