Mary ADAMS

ADAMS, Mary Lena (née Buck)
1919 - 2013
On Wednesday, May 1st, 2013, after an
active and happy life. Mary was the devoted wife of James Gordon Oscar Adams, who predeceased her in 1986. Mother of Richard Thomas James Adams and mother-in-law to Kenneth Andrew Burke. Mary Adams was born 93 years ago in Ottawa, Ontario. She was the first child born to Thomas Buck and Lena Martin and was the eldest sister to Doris, Tom, John, Margery and Muriel (who all predeceased her) as well as to Maurice (whom she leaves behind). Mary grew up in Montreal, attending Verdun High School (where she met her first best friend Gwen Duncan) and then attended the Mother House. She later lived in Shawinigan Falls where she met another life-long friend Sue Vogel. In the early years, Mary was active in the YMCA, loved acting and reading and visited Havana on a cruise in the pre- Castro era. She enjoyed working at Belding Corticelli during World War II and ended her career to get married while working at the Prudential Insurance Company of England. Mary and James married in 1959, honeymooned in upper New York State and raised their son in Côte Saint-Paul where he attended Verdun High School. Mary was a social being and joined the local social service clubs, the Anglican Church, the travel clubs, weight loss groups, all with a keen desire to meet other people. She travelled extensively in later years to places like Alaska, Hawaii, London, Florida, Las Vegas and enjoyed day trips to Vermont and New York. Mary was an avid reader and loved attending the Montreal Botanical Gardens, MSO concerts and the Centaur Theatre. More than anything, Mary loved being a mother, first to all of her young siblings, and then to her only son, who actually took her advice to study and become anything he wanted to become. For their dedicated and caring support, special thanks go to Jeannette Free as well as the doctors and staff at the Long Term Care Unit of the LaSalle General Hospital. A visitation will be held on Friday, May 3rd from 7:00 to 9:00 pm and on Saturday, May 4th from 9:00 to 11:00 am followed by a chapel service at 11:00 am at the Collins Clarke MacGillivray White Funeral Home, Sherbrooke St.W. Montreal followed by the burial at the Field of Honour Cemetery. Anyone who happens to be in Montreal is welcome to attend. In memory of Mary, those wishing to do so could make a charitable donation to the Montreal SPCA (spca.com) or to the Canadian Mental Health Association (cmha.com) and online condolences and memories may be forwarded through www.dignitequebec.com