Adam Lewis Carroll was born in the morning of Thursday, March 29, 2001, in Merriam, KS, bright-eyed and ready to get to this thing called “life”. He was the third of three boys born to Tammy (Wheat) Carroll and Timothy Norman Carroll. When he tragically died Monday, July 5, in Lenexa, KS, the world became a less joyous place.
He was a 2019 graduate of Spring Hill High School. While in high school, he was a part of the band in percussion. He also participated in football and wrestling. He attended Crowder College, Neosho, MO. At the time of his death, he was employed at Legacy Technologies, Mission, KS. He was a member of Grace Community Church of the Nazarene, Spring Hill. He had so many hobbies: welding, fire dancing, drawing, cooking, and reading, especially fantasy. He was musical, playing the drums and teaching himself to play the flute. He was so curious. He loved Harry Potter, dragons, and sushi.
Adam made friends with many people. He would find the shyest kid in the room and talk to them. He had the “BEST” smile, sort of a sideways grin. Even if things weren’t exactly perfect or happy at the moment, Adam would have a smile on his face. Every.single.time. He was referred to as a gentle giant because he was tall and strong. But his heart was the biggest, sweetest part of him. He loved animals, all animals. And they loved him right back. His niece, Jayde, remembers that Uncle Adam helped her hatch a dragon egg, caring for between her visits, for over a year. Jayde and Adam had a very special bond, mostly because Adam never lost the ability to play like a kid. His childhood playmates included his cousins. They regularly turned the basement at Grandpa and Grandma Wheat’s home into a mythical land that included queens with magical powers. Of course, Adam was king, and together they would plot the demise of the evil dragon.
Adam was always a delightful person with a pure spirit. He was himself as he wanted to be rather than how anyone thought he should be. There is real strength in that. He had the ability to recognize himself outside of what some consider the societal norm. Adam LITERALLY danced to the beat of his own drum.
Surviving Adam are his mother, Tammy Wheat, Duncan, OK; father, Timothy (Keri) Carroll, Harrisonville, MO; brother, Timothy (Cassi) Carroll, Shaw Air Force Base, SC; brother, Brian (Heather) Carroll, Bern, KS; brother, Hunter (Corey) Stuart, Hays, KS; sister, Jordan (Eric) Dalbey, Omaha, NE; niece, Jayde Carroll, Paola, KS; uncle, Kevin Wheat (Jennifer), Rockwall, TX; aunt, Lisa (Rocky) Schlientz, Hartsburg, MO; aunt, Rachel (Todd) Stritzke, La Verna, TX; uncle, Teron Carroll, Poplar Bluff, MO; maternal grandparents, Stan and Dorothy Wheat, Spring Hill, KS; paternal grandparents, Norman (Mary) Carroll, Duluth, GA; and cousins, Laura Ledoux, Garrett Ledoux, Carolyn Stritzke, Sarah Stritzke, Sydney Wheat, Conner Wheat, Michael Schlientz, and Heather Doughty. He was predeceased by his paternal grandmother, Joan Carroll.
A funeral service for Adam will be held at 4 pm Saturday, July 10, at Grace Community Church of the Nazarene, 19300 US-169, Spring Hill, KS. A private family graveside will follow.
Memorial contributions may be made to Cedar Cove Feline Conservation and Education Center, 3783 Highway K-68, Louisburg, KS, 66053.
Adam’s family thanks the Lenexa KS Police Department for their professionalism and support. We also thank Grace Community Church of the Nazarene for their hospitality and Kansas City First Church of the Nazarene for their outpouring of prayers and support. A special thanks to Pastor Shawn and Sherri Siegfreid, Lead Pastor of KCFC. And lastly thanks to our extended family, the Brothers and Sisters of the Johnson County Kansas Sheriff’s Department. There are not enough words to explain their dedication and acts of love demonstrated to this family.
Please continue to pray for us all as we move forward in this life without our precious Adam. We know he is with the Father, in peace and total love, but we are still human, and we will yearn to be with him every day until we join him there.
