Nancy Adams, known for her dedication and generosity as co-owner and Vice Chairman of the Board of the Tennessee Titans/Houston Oilers franchise, died Sunday night at the age of 84.
Her parents and her son Kenneth Stanley Adams, III, predeceased Mrs. Adams. Survivors include her husband of 62 years, K.S. "Bud" Adams Jr., daughter Susie Smith and husband Tommy, daughter Amy Strunk, and seven grandchildren.
"She was the love of my life and we shared so many great memories together," Mr. Adams said. "I will miss her greatly, but know how lucky we were to have each other's company for so long."
A memorial service for Mrs. Adams is to be held on Thursday at 1 p.m. at River Oaks Baptist Church in Houston. Prior to the service, a private entombment will be conducted at Forest Park Westheimer mausoleum with Mrs. Adams grandchildren serving as honorary pallbearers. The family will receive visitors from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday at the George H. Lewis & Sons Funeral Home in Houston.
Mrs. Adams was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on May 18, 1924, to parents Edward McDow Neville and Amy Bethea Neville. She attended the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.
It was in college in 1942 that Mrs. Adams – then Nancy Neville – first met her future husband. He was studying in the school of engineering and playing halfback on the football team, but with World War II underway he never graduated, leaving school to join the Navy.
Mr. Adams was discharged in 1946, and on Oct. 26 of that year he made Nancy Neville his wife.
In life, Mrs. Adams' name was not often splashed across the newspaper pages; that was a role for her husband — an athletic Oklahoma native that found wealth in Texas oil and made sport of owning an NFL franchise.
Still, Mrs. Adams will be remembered for what she contributed not only to the franchise but also to its surrounding communities, both in Tennessee and Texas.
"She's an outstanding lady," said Oilers Hall of Famer Elvin Bethea. "Always there to support the team just like Mr. Adams. She was always there, part of the Oiler and now Titan family and has meant a lot to the organization."
Mr. Adams' Houston Oilers began competition as a charter member in the new American Football League in 1960. They continued to play in Texas when the AFL merged with the NFL in 1970, and eventually the Adams family moved the NFL franchise to Tennessee in 1997.
The following year, Mr. and Mrs. Adams teamed with NFL Charities to donate $200,000 to help families in East Nashville after a devastating tornado hit the city.
In 1999, Mr. and Mrs. Adams established the Tennessee Titans Foundation with an initial gift of $500,000. The Foundation offers financial support and other resources to non-profit organizations, and through it the couple has injected millions of dollars into the community.
After Tropical Storm Allison devastated the Houston area with more than 30 inches of rain in June 2001, they contributed $100,000 to the "Spirit of Texas Fund" established by the Red Cross to aid flood victims.
One of the couple's most recent gifts came in February 2008 in the form of a $500,000 grant for Nashville's Baptist Hospital. The donation was designated for the hospital's obstetrics expansion project, which was to include renovation of the family waiting room and the development of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. It was also to result in the naming of the "Bud and Nancy Adams and Tennessee Titans Family Waiting Area."
"This gift will benefit all those who come to Baptist Hospital for one of the most important moments in life – the birth of a new baby," the hospital's President and CEO, Bernie Sherry, said at the time.
The grant represented the largest single gift from the Titans Foundation since it was formed.
The Adams celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary in 2008, having spent the better half of five decades as NFL administrators and community activists.
Mrs. Adams was also a member of River Oaks Baptist Church, the Houston Alumnae Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta and the John McKnitt Alexander Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
The family requests that contributions in Nancy's memory be directed to Houston Hospice, 1905 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, 77030; River Oaks Baptist Church, 2300 Willowick, Houston, 77027; Ronald McDonald House-Houston, 1907 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, 77030; or to the charity of one's choice.
Her parents and her son Kenneth Stanley Adams, III, predeceased Mrs. Adams. Survivors include her husband of 62 years, K.S. "Bud" Adams Jr., daughter Susie Smith and husband Tommy, daughter Amy Strunk, and seven grandchildren.
"She was the love of my life and we shared so many great memories together," Mr. Adams said. "I will miss her greatly, but know how lucky we were to have each other's company for so long."
A memorial service for Mrs. Adams is to be held on Thursday at 1 p.m. at River Oaks Baptist Church in Houston. Prior to the service, a private entombment will be conducted at Forest Park Westheimer mausoleum with Mrs. Adams grandchildren serving as honorary pallbearers. The family will receive visitors from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday at the George H. Lewis & Sons Funeral Home in Houston.
Mrs. Adams was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on May 18, 1924, to parents Edward McDow Neville and Amy Bethea Neville. She attended the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.
It was in college in 1942 that Mrs. Adams – then Nancy Neville – first met her future husband. He was studying in the school of engineering and playing halfback on the football team, but with World War II underway he never graduated, leaving school to join the Navy.
Mr. Adams was discharged in 1946, and on Oct. 26 of that year he made Nancy Neville his wife.
In life, Mrs. Adams' name was not often splashed across the newspaper pages; that was a role for her husband — an athletic Oklahoma native that found wealth in Texas oil and made sport of owning an NFL franchise.
Still, Mrs. Adams will be remembered for what she contributed not only to the franchise but also to its surrounding communities, both in Tennessee and Texas.
"She's an outstanding lady," said Oilers Hall of Famer Elvin Bethea. "Always there to support the team just like Mr. Adams. She was always there, part of the Oiler and now Titan family and has meant a lot to the organization."
Mr. Adams' Houston Oilers began competition as a charter member in the new American Football League in 1960. They continued to play in Texas when the AFL merged with the NFL in 1970, and eventually the Adams family moved the NFL franchise to Tennessee in 1997.
The following year, Mr. and Mrs. Adams teamed with NFL Charities to donate $200,000 to help families in East Nashville after a devastating tornado hit the city.
In 1999, Mr. and Mrs. Adams established the Tennessee Titans Foundation with an initial gift of $500,000. The Foundation offers financial support and other resources to non-profit organizations, and through it the couple has injected millions of dollars into the community.
After Tropical Storm Allison devastated the Houston area with more than 30 inches of rain in June 2001, they contributed $100,000 to the "Spirit of Texas Fund" established by the Red Cross to aid flood victims.
One of the couple's most recent gifts came in February 2008 in the form of a $500,000 grant for Nashville's Baptist Hospital. The donation was designated for the hospital's obstetrics expansion project, which was to include renovation of the family waiting room and the development of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. It was also to result in the naming of the "Bud and Nancy Adams and Tennessee Titans Family Waiting Area."
"This gift will benefit all those who come to Baptist Hospital for one of the most important moments in life – the birth of a new baby," the hospital's President and CEO, Bernie Sherry, said at the time.
The grant represented the largest single gift from the Titans Foundation since it was formed.
The Adams celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary in 2008, having spent the better half of five decades as NFL administrators and community activists.
Mrs. Adams was also a member of River Oaks Baptist Church, the Houston Alumnae Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta and the John McKnitt Alexander Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
The family requests that contributions in Nancy's memory be directed to Houston Hospice, 1905 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, 77030; River Oaks Baptist Church, 2300 Willowick, Houston, 77027; Ronald McDonald House-Houston, 1907 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, 77030; or to the charity of one's choice.
Nancy Adams, known for her dedication and generosity as co-owner and Vice Chairman of the Board of the Tennessee Titans/Houston Oilers franchise, died Sunday night at the age of 84.
Her parents and her son Kenneth Stanley Adams, III, predeceased Mrs. Adams. Survivors include her husband of 62 years, K.S. "Bud" Adams Jr., daughter Susie Smith and husband Tommy, daughter Amy Strunk, and seven grandchildren.
"She was the love of my life and we shared so many great memories together," Mr. Adams said. "I will miss her greatly, but know how lucky we were to have each other's company for so long."
A memorial service for Mrs. Adams is to be held on Thursday at 1 p.m. at River Oaks Baptist Church in Houston. Prior to the service, a private entombment will be conducted at Forest Park Westheimer mausoleum with Mrs. Adams grandchildren serving as honorary pallbearers. The family will receive visitors from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday at the George H. Lewis & Sons Funeral Home in Houston.
Mrs. Adams was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on May 18, 1924, to parents Edward McDow Neville and Amy Bethea Neville. She attended the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.
It was in college in 1942 that Mrs. Adams – then Nancy Neville – first met her future husband. He was studying in the school of engineering and playing halfback on the football team, but with World War II underway he never graduated, leaving school to join the Navy.
Mr. Adams was discharged in 1946, and on Oct. 26 of that year he made Nancy Neville his wife.
In life, Mrs. Adams' name was not often splashed across the newspaper pages; that was a role for her husband — an athletic Oklahoma native that found wealth in Texas oil and made sport of owning an NFL franchise.
Still, Mrs. Adams will be remembered for what she contributed not only to the franchise but also to its surrounding communities, both in Tennessee and Texas.
"She's an outstanding lady," said Oilers Hall of Famer Elvin Bethea. "Always there to support the team just like Mr. Adams. She was always there, part of the Oiler and now Titan family and has meant a lot to the organization."
Mr. Adams' Houston Oilers began competition as a charter member in the new American Football League in 1960. They continued to play in Texas when the AFL merged with the NFL in 1970, and eventually the Adams family moved the NFL franchise to Tennessee in 1997.
The following year, Mr. and Mrs. Adams teamed with NFL Charities to donate $200,000 to help families in East Nashville after a devastating tornado hit the city.
In 1999, Mr. and Mrs. Adams established the Tennessee Titans Foundation with an initial gift of $500,000. The Foundation offers financial support and other resources to non-profit organizations, and through it the couple has injected millions of dollars into the community.
After Tropical Storm Allison devastated the Houston area with more than 30 inches of rain in June 2001, they contributed $100,000 to the "Spirit of Texas Fund" established by the Red Cross to aid flood victims.
One of the couple's most recent gifts came in February 2008 in the form of a $500,000 grant for Nashville's Baptist Hospital. The donation was designated for the hospital's obstetrics expansion project, which was to include renovation of the family waiting room and the development of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. It was also to result in the naming of the "Bud and Nancy Adams and Tennessee Titans Family Waiting Area."
"This gift will benefit all those who come to Baptist Hospital for one of the most important moments in life – the birth of a new baby," the hospital's President and CEO, Bernie Sherry, said at the time.
The grant represented the largest single gift from the Titans Foundation since it was formed.
The Adams celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary in 2008, having spent the better half of five decades as NFL administrators and community activists.
Mrs. Adams was also a member of River Oaks Baptist Church, the Houston Alumnae Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta and the John McKnitt Alexander Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
The family requests that contributions in Nancy's memory be directed to Houston Hospice, 1905 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, 77030; River Oaks Baptist Church, 2300 Willowick, Houston, 77027; Ronald McDonald House-Houston, 1907 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, 77030; or to the charity of one's choice.
Her parents and her son Kenneth Stanley Adams, III, predeceased Mrs. Adams. Survivors include her husband of 62 years, K.S. "Bud" Adams Jr., daughter Susie Smith and husband Tommy, daughter Amy Strunk, and seven grandchildren.
"She was the love of my life and we shared so many great memories together," Mr. Adams said. "I will miss her greatly, but know how lucky we were to have each other's company for so long."
A memorial service for Mrs. Adams is to be held on Thursday at 1 p.m. at River Oaks Baptist Church in Houston. Prior to the service, a private entombment will be conducted at Forest Park Westheimer mausoleum with Mrs. Adams grandchildren serving as honorary pallbearers. The family will receive visitors from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday at the George H. Lewis & Sons Funeral Home in Houston.
Mrs. Adams was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on May 18, 1924, to parents Edward McDow Neville and Amy Bethea Neville. She attended the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.
It was in college in 1942 that Mrs. Adams – then Nancy Neville – first met her future husband. He was studying in the school of engineering and playing halfback on the football team, but with World War II underway he never graduated, leaving school to join the Navy.
Mr. Adams was discharged in 1946, and on Oct. 26 of that year he made Nancy Neville his wife.
In life, Mrs. Adams' name was not often splashed across the newspaper pages; that was a role for her husband — an athletic Oklahoma native that found wealth in Texas oil and made sport of owning an NFL franchise.
Still, Mrs. Adams will be remembered for what she contributed not only to the franchise but also to its surrounding communities, both in Tennessee and Texas.
"She's an outstanding lady," said Oilers Hall of Famer Elvin Bethea. "Always there to support the team just like Mr. Adams. She was always there, part of the Oiler and now Titan family and has meant a lot to the organization."
Mr. Adams' Houston Oilers began competition as a charter member in the new American Football League in 1960. They continued to play in Texas when the AFL merged with the NFL in 1970, and eventually the Adams family moved the NFL franchise to Tennessee in 1997.
The following year, Mr. and Mrs. Adams teamed with NFL Charities to donate $200,000 to help families in East Nashville after a devastating tornado hit the city.
In 1999, Mr. and Mrs. Adams established the Tennessee Titans Foundation with an initial gift of $500,000. The Foundation offers financial support and other resources to non-profit organizations, and through it the couple has injected millions of dollars into the community.
After Tropical Storm Allison devastated the Houston area with more than 30 inches of rain in June 2001, they contributed $100,000 to the "Spirit of Texas Fund" established by the Red Cross to aid flood victims.
One of the couple's most recent gifts came in February 2008 in the form of a $500,000 grant for Nashville's Baptist Hospital. The donation was designated for the hospital's obstetrics expansion project, which was to include renovation of the family waiting room and the development of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. It was also to result in the naming of the "Bud and Nancy Adams and Tennessee Titans Family Waiting Area."
"This gift will benefit all those who come to Baptist Hospital for one of the most important moments in life – the birth of a new baby," the hospital's President and CEO, Bernie Sherry, said at the time.
The grant represented the largest single gift from the Titans Foundation since it was formed.
The Adams celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary in 2008, having spent the better half of five decades as NFL administrators and community activists.
Mrs. Adams was also a member of River Oaks Baptist Church, the Houston Alumnae Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta and the John McKnitt Alexander Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
The family requests that contributions in Nancy's memory be directed to Houston Hospice, 1905 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, 77030; River Oaks Baptist Church, 2300 Willowick, Houston, 77027; Ronald McDonald House-Houston, 1907 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, 77030; or to the charity of one's choice.
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