Mary Adams Stephens

Charlotte - Mary Adams Stephens died peacefully in Charlotte, NC on July 15, 2016, at the age of eighty-seven surrounded by her loving family and caregivers. An amazing sister, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, she arrived in this world in the middle of a blizzard on March 9, 1929 to Alice and Francis Adams in Utica, New York. Mary Alice, as she was called, was the oldest of four children and took that “head position” with gracious enthusiasm, and always encouraging her younger siblings.

Mary attended Noroton Academy in Connecticut where she excelled in both athletics and academics and was also President of the school. She then attended Manhattanville Sacred Heart College in New York where she was called “Tink” by her many friends and continued to develop her love of history, music and the arts. Her deep religious commitment to God continued to grow throughout these wonderful school years. Following college, she worked with Father Keller at The Christophers in New York.

She met the love of her life, a Southern boy from Dunn, NC in New York. Mary and Louis Stephens were married on Fisher’s Island, and moved to Greensboro, NC where they began a family that grew to eight children. They enjoyed over fifty years of love, laughter and friends with their children, and now eighteen grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Never one to sit idle, Mary introduced Great Books to Greensboro while in the hospital with her seventh child. She chaired the PTA at her children’s schools as well as several committees at the Greensboro Junior League, and was named Greensboro “Mother of the Year” in 1968. She created the Enrichment Program at the Greensboro Day School to encourage students to explore learning beyond the classroom. Her love for the arts was the catalyst for her to start the UNC-G Weatherspoon Art Guild, creating the annual art exhibit “Art on Paper”. She taught CCD/Sunday School and delivered Meals on Wheels through her family’s longstanding relationship with St. Pius X church. Mary was also on the board of the Duke Divinity School for several years, which she thoroughly enjoyed. Mary was passionate about helping others; she helped to create an important program for adult literacy, making life changes for Guildford County residents and neighboring communities. This program, Reading Connections, continues today, teaching reading and building the self-esteem of many grateful adults.

Mary was most devoted to her family and her spiritual relationship with God, which were at the center of her life. She said she wanted to raise her children to have a lifelong interest in learning and a love of God. She also encouraged her children to engage with the arts and to explore athletics, be it basketball, swimming, golf or tennis, and she was always cheering on the sidelines. Mary taught herself to become an extraordinary cook, and loved nature and walks with friends.

Her favorite place was the family house in Roaring Gap, located in the North Carolina mountains. It was there that she gathered her family and friends on the back porch, which was the setting for a lot of laughter, great story telling and delicious dinners, and always with music playing.

Mary’s gracious style and radiant beauty combined with a kind and loving heart made a lasting impression on all who met her. She possessed a gentle spirit and always reached out to those in need, whatever the cause. Her spiritual wisdom was often bestowed on her family throughout the years in reflective and prayerful letters, reminding all that the purpose of life is to serve God.

Mary was preceded in death by her loving husband, Louis; her sister, Joan Harris; her nephew, Francis (Chappy) Adams; her nieces, Nina and Amanda Adams. She is survived by her eight children, Michael (Linda) Stephens, Mary Ball, Anne (Bill) Harrison, Joan (John) Hutson, Louis (Lucy) Stephens, Suzanne (Tom) Creasy, Melanie (Russ) Sizemore, Peter (Natasha) Stephens; eighteen grandchildren; one great-grandchild; her sister, Helen (George) Fleming; and brother, Bud (Carol) Adams.

We wish to thank Florence Boakye, Anna Vaden, Jill D’Ambrosio and Rhoda Dugan for their excellent and tender loving care which provided a comfortable later life for our mother. In addition, we thank Jenna Bass and all the staff at Hospice and Palliative Care for their thoughtful care and assistance.

A memorial service will be held Monday, August 1, 2016 at 11:30 a.m. at the Roaring Gap Chapel, Roaring Gap, NC 28668.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte, 1420 E 7th Street, Charlotte, NC 28204, or Reading Connections, Inc., 122 N Elm Street, Suite 920, Greensboro, NC 27401.