Barbara Jean Adams

Barbara Jean Hancock Adams was born September 13,1943 in Ft. Smith, Arkansas to her parents Gene Edward Hancock and Letha Maurine Ward Hancock. She died on December 28, 2024 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s.

Barbara was born in Ft. Smith while her father was stationed at Camp Chaffee, prior to his deployment in World War II. Once Gene’s Company was deployed, Barbara and her mother moved to Electra, Texas to live with her grandmother, her aunts, and her cousins Mike and Jackie Chaffee for the duration of the war. At the end of the war, when her father returned to the United States and went back to work for Magnolia Pipeline Company (later Mobile Oil), his job took the family to various towns around Texas, including: Midland, Longview, Port Neches, Corsicana, Dallas, Premont, Edna, and Port Arthur. Between 1st and 12th grade, Barbara attended 13 different schools and she would often say that she knew they were moving whenever she came home from school and saw men in their backyard, taking down her swing set.

Barbara spent her final two years of high school in Longview, Texas, which is where she met her husband David Edward Adams. As a Longview High School Lobo, Barbara belonged to many social clubs, was an honors student, and was elected to the King and Queen’s court. After graduating high school in 1962, Barbara enrolled at North Texas College for her freshman year and then she transferred to the University of Texas at Austin for her sophomore and junior years. At Texas she was a member of Chi Omega sorority.

In 1965 her father was transferred to Tripoli, Libya, so Barbara took a year off from school in order to move to Libya with her parents. During that year, Barbara and Letha traveled extensively around the Mediterranean and Western Europe.

In the summer of 1966, Barbara returned to the United States to plan her wedding to David, which took place on August 27, 1966, at Oakland Heights Baptist Church in Longview, Texas. Barbara then enrolled in Stephen F. Austin State University to finish her undergraduate degree in elementary education with a speciality in reading. While she was finishing her degree, her husband was drafted into the US Army to serve in the Vietnam War. Once she graduated, Barbara moved to Savannah, Georgia to be with her husband who was stationed at Hunter Army Airfield. Barbara began her career teaching 6th grade in the Savannah Public School System, where her first classroom also served as the school’s cafeteria.

When David was discharged from the Army in 1968, they returned to Nacogdoches, Texas. While there, David finished his undergraduate degree and Barbara enrolled in graduate school at Stephen F. Austin. While she worked to receive a master’s degree in reading education, she also worked for the university as an undergraduate instructor. Shortly after Barbara’s graduation in May of 1970, their daughter Kristie was born.

Barbara and David moved to Midland in August of 1971. For the next five years, as David taught school for Midland Independent School District during the day, Barbara worked nights, teaching classes at Midland College. It was during this time that their son Dea was born on July 31,1973.

In 1976 Barbara went to work for MISD, teaching 6th grade at West Elementary. Years later, when MISD opened Parker Elementary, Barbara transferred there and began teaching 3rd grade. Eventually Barbara went back to school during the summer to receive her certification as an Alphabet Phonics Dyslexia Reading Therapist and she finished her career at MISD traveling between multiple campuses to teach Alphabet Phonics. She retired from MISD in December of 2002.

Barbara and David joined Midland’s First Baptist in September of 1971. In the 53 years Barbara called Midland home, she was involved with many social clubs, including Beta Sigma Phi, where she served many roles, including President. For many years she regularly played BUNKO with friends. Barbara also served on the boards of the Midland Teachers Credit Union and MARC (now Spectrum of Solutions).

Barbara spent the early years of her retirement focused on spending time with her granddaughters, Reilly and Lily, as well as caring for Dea and her parents in their later years. Unfortunately, after showing signs of dementia for many years, in 2022 Barbara’s Alzheimer’s became so severe that it became necessary for her to move into the Vogel Unit at Manor Park, where she lived until her passing.

Barbara was preceded in death by her parents Gene Edward Hancock and Letha Maurine Ward Hancock, her infant brother Gene Edward Hancock, Jr., and her son David Edward “Dea” Adams, Jr. She is survived by her husband of 58 years, David Edward Adams of Midland, her daughter Kristie Adams Wade and her husband Randy of Wilson, Wyoming, her granddaughters Reilly Wade and her husband Zach Johnson of Nashville, Tennessee, and Lily Wade of Knoxville, Tennessee.

The family would like to thank the following people for their care of Barbara in her final years: the staff of the Vogel Unit at Manor Park, Hospice of Midland, and Beverly Armstrong who steadfastly continued to visit Barbara at Manor Park until her final days.

The family will receive friends for visitation at Ellis Funeral Home on Friday, January 10, 2025 from 5-7 PM. Funeral services will be held at 2 PM on Saturday, January 11, 2025 at First Baptist Church, followed by interment at Resthaven Memorial Park. Pallbearers will be Rick Armstrong, Randy Balleza, Randy Cotton, Milton Lary, Pete Schrenkel, and Stan Smith.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Barbara’s memory to Hospice of Midland, Spectrum of Solutions, or the charity of your choice.