Gwendolyn Adams

Gwendolyn Hugley Adams was the only child born to Barney Hugley and Ovella Martin Hugley on February 21, 1938, in Dayton, Ohio.  She grew up in a nurturing, supportive, spiritual God-fearing, unconditional loving home.  In her youth, her faith remained an important part of her life as she was a member of Tabernacle Baptist Church and later joined Trinity Presbyterian Church both in Dayton, Ohio.  Gwendolyn developed a love for music at an early age.  She began piano lessons at the age of six years old.  She often would play the piano and later the organ during church services, school activities and recitals.

She was active in many youth organizations:  Campfire Girls, Dayton Junior League World Affairs, Alpha pals, and National Honor Society. Gwendolyn received her early education in the Dayton Public Schools, attending Wogaman Elementary School, Jackson Middle School and graduating from Roosevelt High School in 1956 with National Merit Honors.

Upon graduation Gwendolyn enrolled at Fisk University in the fall of 1956 with her three best friends from Dayton: Janeice Cochran, Joyce Murray, and Peggy Coleman.  Her impact and popularity among her freshman class was evident when Gwendolyn was elected class Secretary.  Among her classmates at Fisk University was the late Congressman and civil rights icon John L. Lewis and Diane Nash.  In 1958, after her sophomore year, she decided to transfer to pursue a career in Nursing at Michigan State University in Lansing, Michigan.

While at Michigan State during her senior year her beloved father Barney became ill.  Gwendolyn left school at Michigan State to assist her mother in his care.  She was hired at the Defense Electronic Supply Center (DESCI) in Dayton, Ohio as a receptionist.  Her impact was a positive addition to her department, as she received numerous awards as an outstanding and valuable team member.

During this period, she met and later married Jacob A. Adams on October 12, 1963.  The couple was blessed with two children, the oldest; son Anthony was born in 1965 and daughter Tracie born in 1969.  The family of four soon moved to Palo Alto, California, a part of the country Gwendolyn always loved.  Her husband’s relocation adventures moved them from California to New Carrollton, Maryland; Longmeadow, Massachusetts; Concord, Maine; Cherry Hill, New Jersey; Washington, D.C. and finally Fairview, Texas.  Vacation trips took them to Canada, Hawaii, and other breathtaking states.

Gwendolyn re-entered the workplace once her children were in school full-time.  She was the Head Bank Teller at Old Colony Bank in Concord, Massachusetts.  Her confidence, positive approach to situations, levelheadedness, and constant respect for others made it easy to love her.  Her poised-timeless style in fashion and in home interiors was simplistic elegance.  During her 20-year residency in Cherry Hill, New Jersey she worked in retail managing store inventory, was a receptionist for GBC Technologies and served as a medical records office coordinator.  She looked forward to her weekend trips in the fall to the college football games to watch her son Anthony play football at the University of Rhode Island.  Tailgating was fun and very special to her.  During Tracie’s high school years, she still managed to work full-time, while navigating the delicate-critical-teenager- hyperactive-mood swings of her daughter, with tons of grace, love, and LOTS of patience.  BEST MOM EVER!!!

Family meant everything to Gwendolyn, and she took great pride in telling everyone who met her all about her family, especially her two grandchildren.  She loved socializing, planning gatherings/parties, playing cards, traveling and her many mother-daughter get-a-way trips to Atlanta, Georgia and McKinney, Texas.  She always greeted people with her warm-welcoming big bright smile that radiated happiness to all nearby.  She never met a stranger.  She was an avid reader and had a vast collection of books - John Gresham and Alice Walker were some of her favorite authors.  She also loved the cinema from action movies, the NCIS cable TV series as well as attending multiple sporting events.  Music made Gwendolyn happy, plus dancing with her husband and attending live jazz concerts, music festivals and the symphony.

A new chapter began when she became “Nanna” to two grandchildren, Greyson and Barkley.   She immensely enjoyed listening to their sweet stories over the phone, visiting often to attend school events, cheering at their games, birthdays, holidays and always joking around with them. So many wonderful fun-filled memories to cherish.

She was the most devoted, supportive, selfless, strong-willed, wonderfully kind, gracious, genuinely nice, no fuss, flexible, spirited, fun-filled, witty, trustworthy, non-judgmental, a great listener, considerate, attentive, and affectionate – to know her was to love her.  She was an amazing woman!

Gwendolyn, a faithful, and loving daughter, niece, wife, mother, aunt, grandmother, and friend, was reunited with her parents Barney and Ovella, Sunday June 18, 2023, at her home in Fairview, Texas with her husband of 59 years by her bedside.

She leaves to cherish her memory:  husband of 59 years Jacob A. Adams, Fairview, Texas; son Anthony Adams, Arlington, Virginia; daughter Tracie (Adams) Byrd and son-in-law Andre Byrd McKinney, Texas; grandson Greyson King Byrd (16) and granddaughter Barkley Ovella Byrd (14) McKinney, Texas; cousin Latitia Martin Lee, Dayton, Ohio; cousin Helen Embry, Los Angeles, California; brother-in-law Roscoe Adams, Atlanta, Georgia; nephew Glenn Adams, Atlanta, Georgia; nephew Gregory Adams, St. Louis, Missouri; nephew Kennedy Adams, wife Sylvia Adams, great-nieces Isabel (9) and Sophia (7), Canton, Georgia; nephew Donavon Adams, wife Christal Adams, great-nieces Aurora (4) and Alice (2), Sandy Springs, Georgia; cousin Adjoa Aiyetoro, Fairfax, Virginia; cousin Eric English, Evanston, Illinois; cousin Brian Baker, wife Lynette Baker, Sacramento, California; cousin Avery Baker, Chicago, Illinois; Justin Baker, Los Angeles, California; Godson Stephen Joyner, Dayton, Ohio; and scores of relatives and friends; plus Lifelong Sister-Best Friends for 80 wonderful years: Peggy Coleman Wilson, Dayton, Ohio and Elaine Lewis, Silver Spring, Maryland; Lifelong Little Brother-Best Friend Dr. Stanford J. Coleman, Ft. Washington, Maryland.

Gwendolyn’s timeless beauty inside and out, compassion, love, generosity, empathy, loyal friendship, humor, encouragement, wisdom, genuine warmth, and her cheerful smile will be greatly missed by all who were BLESSED to know her.  Thank you, GOD, for Gwendolyn’s life!

In lieu of flowers, Gwendolyn respectfully requested MEMORIAL DONATIONS to be dedicated to her grandchildren – G & B Legacy Fund (Gwendolyn Adams.)

Donation options:

A) via Venmo to @Tracie-Byrd-2

B) Donations can be sent via Zelle to (404) 694-4422 (Tracie Byrd)

C) Make checks payable to:

G & B Legacy Fund. Attn: Tracie Byrd

8204 Lonesome Spur Trail, McKinney, Texas 75070

We will honor Gwendolyn at a Celebration of Life at 11:00 a.m. On Saturday, September 23, 2023, at Allen Family Funeral Options.  If you wish to join the service via webcast, please visit: http://webcast.funeralvue.com/events/viewer/92398

There will be a reception following the service.

WITH LOVE,

Our family would like to offer a heartfelt thank you to our extended family, friends, and neighbors.

Thank you for sharing with us this Celebration of the Life of Gwendolyn Adams.