Mary Orr Adams

By Staff
February 13, 2010
A private family funeral for Mary Orr Adams, 70, of Jackson, Miss. was Friday, February 19, at St. James Episcopal Church.
Burial was in the adjoining cemetery.
Mrs. Adams died Saturday, February 13, 2010. She was born October 14, 1939, in Hartselle to Evelyn Nelson Orr and Harold Echols Orr. She attended school in Hartselle and graduated from Morgan County High School in 1958. During her school years, she received many honors and accolades among which were senior class president, class valedictorian and Morgan County Maid of Cotton. She attended Auburn University where she met her future husband, Robert Parker Adams. They married in 1961 and after graduation moved to Columbus, Ga. where she was a high school English teacher. After moving to Jackson, Miss. she became involved in church and community activities. She attended St. Philip’s Episcopal Church where she became one of the first female members of the Vestry in Miss. During this time she and her husband led ten college students on a two-month bicycle tour of Europe. Her civic activities included service as a docent at the Jackson Zoo where she conceived, designed and helped raise funds for the Children’s Discovery Zoo. She was a former president of the Woodland Hills Garden Club, a member of the Board of Directors of the Friends of the Jackson Library, a member of the Board of Directors of the Miss. School for Math and Science Advisory Board, a member of the St. Dominic Hospital Community Advisory Board and the Hinds County Welfare Advisory Board and a charter member of the Garden Club of Jackson.
She is survived by her husband of 50 years, Robert Parker Adams of Jackson, Miss.; a sister, Ann Orr Israel and husband Tommy of Haleyville and their two sons, Andy and Adam of Birmingham; a brother-in-law, Paul Adams and wife Carol and their son Paul Junior and family; a sister-in-law, Alice Lusk and husband Marshall and their children Mary Margaret Hollingsworth and family and John Lusk.
Memorials may be made to the Mary Orr Adams Scholarship Fund of the Jackson Garden Club, P.O. Box 13026, Jackson, Miss. 39236 or any charity.