Bessie Arminta "Betsy" Adams

Born May 17, 1929, Bessie Arminta Adams, aka Betsy Adams, passed away on Sept 22, 2025 at the age of 96. She died peacefully at home with her family by her side, after a long hospital stay from which her weakened body could not recover. Her passing was a blessing. Her husband Larry predeceased her on Dec 10, 2024, and from that moment on, Betsy longed to be reunited with the love of her life and devoted partner of 73 years. Strong believers in the Christian faith, there is no doubt in our minds that Betsy was in Larry's loving arms the instant her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ welcomed her to heaven. Betsy was born and raised in Lenoir, North Carolina, the sixth of eleven children raised by her mother Bessie Warren Gregg and her father William Leonard Gregg. She had six sisters and four brothers. What her family may have lacked in material things was hugely outweighed by an abundance of love and determination. Everyone worked hard to make ends meet and Betsy grew tall (5'8") and strong from hard work and fresh vegetables from their garden. As Betsy would say when complimented for her strength at her age, "I guess I didn't hoe corn for nothin'." Betsy excelled in sports and academics and was named the top female athlete at Lenoir High School. After high school graduation, she moved to Washington D.C., where her sister Mary's FBI-agent-husband helped her get a job with the FBI. She played for the FBI women's basketball team, and on a dare by a friend, competed in the Miss Washington D.C. pageant, where she was a runner-up thanks in part to her beautiful singing voice and high marks in the bathing suit competition. Betsy's bathing suit appearance changed her life (along with many other important attributes, of course). Working for FPL on top of a telephone pole in March of 1951, Betsy's future husband spied the most beautiful woman he had ever seen sunbathing on Miami Beach in a yellow bikini (hint: it was Betsy on vacation). After begging his foreman to let him down so he could ask her out, Larry persuaded Betsy to go out with him (after two attempts and approval by Betsy's FBI-agent brother-in-law). They fell madly in love, married five months later in Miami, and spent the next 73 years in the most perfect, blissful marriage imaginable. Betsy and Larry raised three sons, Larry Jr., Ron, and Thad. They poured their lives into their children, their faith, and their community. Larry rose through the ranks of FPL, from ditch digger to the youngest Senior Vice President in the company's history. Larry served in over 36 local, regional, state, and national community service organizations, usually as President or Chairman, receiving numerous honors and awards. However, Larry would be the first to say he could not have done any of it without Betsy, who was at his side every step of the way. Despite humble beginnings, Betsy and Larry had a fairy tale life together, traveling the world, meeting kings, queens, and presidents, loving God, family, America, people in need, life, and each other. Betsy shared Larry's passion for community service. She was also very creative and artistic, especially with flowers and plants. She joined the Coral Gables Garden Club in 1958 and immediately began winning first-place blue ribbons and "best of show" awards in flower-arranging competitions. Combining her love of plants and flowers with her passion for community service, Betsy eventually became President of the Garden Club and together they improved Coral Gables at levels and in ways not typically achieved by garden clubs. Under Betsy's leadership, they established a public/private partnership with the City to plan, fund (over $1.3 million) and build three new beautiful entranceways to the City (included in City founder George Merrick's plans but never built due to the Depression) as well as the George Merrick statue in front of City Hall and the Althea Merrick statue at the Merrick home on Coral Way. Betsy received numerous honors and awards for her community service, including having a new Coral Gables park named after her (City Commission); winning the George E. Merrick Award of Excellence for 53 years of community leadership (Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce's highest award); winning the first ever Coral Gables Citizen of the Year Award (Coral Gables Rotary Club); being named a Member of the Julia Tuttle Women's History Coalition of Miami-Dade County recognizing women who have made our county a better place to live; receiving the Blanche Covington Leadership Award, the highest honor given to an individual Florida Garden Club member by the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs (not presented every year but reserved for extraordinary individual performance greatly improving a community); being inducted into the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs Hall of Fame; receiving the National Federation of Garden Club's Civic Development Award; receiving the National Council of State Garden Clubs' Deep South Region Civic Development Award; being honored as a Coral Gables Golden Resident of Distinction (City Commission); receiving the Garden Clubber of the Year Award (Council of Garden Clubs Presidents of Miami-Dade County); receiving a Certificate of Appreciation and a Proclamation of Betsy Adams Day in Coral Gables (City Commission). Betsy and fellow garden clubber Clarita Bonderud were the first people to sell flowers in Publix Supermarkets. The business was very successful, but eventually Betsy decided it was keeping her away from her family too much, and she sold her share of the business. Next time you see the huge flower displays at Publix, think of Betsy. Betsy was smart and a very effective leader and public speaker. But if you told her that, she would politely disagree, because she was also extremely humble. She had zero ego, always deflecting praise by crediting others. When the City of Coral Gables decided to name a park after her, she insisted that the Coral Gables Garden Club be included in the name. She was sweet, kind, selfless, mild-mannered, soft-spoken, warm, friendly, funny, encouraging, and forgiving. She never said an unkind word about anyone. And she was the best wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother anyone ever had. Everyone who knew Betsy says the same thing: she is the kindest person they ever met. What a great legacy. The world needs more people like Betsy Adams, and words cannot adequately express how much she will be missed. We take solace in the words of our Lord Jesus, that He has prepared a place for believers like Betsy, and we look forward to seeing her again. Betsy is survived by sons Lawrence, Jr. (Joanne), Ron, and Thad (Ana), granddaughters Kelly Adams, Jennifer, and Julie, great-granddaughter Leah Adams, sister Shirley Barlowe, and many nieces, nephews, and other family members too numerous to list. She is preceded in death by her husband Larry, her parents Bessie and Bill, sisters Mary, Ruth, Joyce, Betty, and Jean, brothers Bill, Jr., Thad, Stewart, and Roger, and other family members. A memorial service and family reception will be held Saturday, October 4, 2025, 11:00 a.m., at Christ Journey Church, 624 Anastasia Ave, Coral Gables, Fla. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in memory of Betsy Adams to the Coral Gables Garden Club (go to https://www.coralgablesgardenclub.org/commemorative-fund/ and follow instructions for online giving or mail-in check option (note: when completing form, select In Memoriam and for "address of person being honored" use 820 Parma Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33146)