William F. Adams

William Frederick Adams, known as "Bill" to the many who loved him, passed from this life to an Eternal reward on Sunday, October 2, 2011, at St. John's Hospital, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Services to honor Bill will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 6, 2011 at Penwell-Gabel Mid Town Chapel in Topeka. Terry Kitson will preside over the funeral service with burial following in Memorial Park Cemetery in Lawrence, Kansas. Bill will be buried aside the "Love of His Life", his wife of 57 years, Betty Lou Nutting Adams. The family will welcome and gladly receive friends in honor of Bill from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. October 5th, at the funeral home.

Bill was born November 15, 1925 in Kansas City, Kansas. He was the son of Roy Calvin Adams and Idella Mae Peets Adams. Bill graduated from Parsons High School in Parsons at the age of 16. He was a member of the Class of 1942. Bill married Betty Lou Nutting on June 11, 1946 and they were married for 57 years -- he was preceeded in death by his wife in 2004. They had three daughters: Cynthia Marie Adams Cotton of Sweetwater, Texas, Marcia Beth Adams Lightsey of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and Kimberley Renee Adams Bruening of Topeka, Kansas.

Bill had a special smile and a welcome way of being a friend to all. Bill was a mechanic by trade and he was a retired District Manager for the State of Kansas and Tool Salesman for Mac Tools, Incorporated. Bill and Betty were avid KU fans and were season ticket attendees at nearly every football and basketball game. Both Bill and Betty were excellent roller skaters, and that is where they met for the first time. Bill was an avid antique car collector and restorer. Both Bill and Betty were faithful members of Central Church of Christ. Bill served as both an Elder and a Deacon of that congregation for many years.

Bill is survived by his daughters and sons-in-law, Cynthia Marie Adams Cotton of Sweetwater, Texas and her husband, David, Marcia Beth Adams Lightsey of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma and her husband, Tony, and Kimberley Renee Adams Bruening of Topeka, Kansas and her husband, Ron; one granddaughter, Lisa Beth Lightsey Hutchins and her husband, Brent; five grandsons, Matthew Adam Cotton of Parker, Colorado, and his wife, Kaci; Benjamin David Cotton of Abilene, Texas, and his wife Lindsey; Brent William Lightsey of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and his wife, Celia; Austin James Bruening of Topeka, and Clayton Lee Bruening of Topeka. Bill had seven great-grandchildren: Jackson David Cotton, Lincoln James Cotton, Lillian Mae Cotton, Keely Annmarie Cotton, William Caleb Hutchins, Hannah Beth Hutchins, and Victor Ezekiel Lightsey; and one sister, Wanda Mae Popejoy of Fresno, California; one sister-in-law, Ernestine Walker Brown of Topeka. Bill is also survived by nieces and nephews and numerous other special friends.