In Memory of Ralph G. Adams
May 12th, 2008,
My wife’s grandfather, Ralph Adams, died at the end of last month. On May 3rd we attended his funeral in Sun City West, Arizona.
I never knew Ralph when he was in good health and at the height, or near the height, of his powers. I’ve been told that he had Shy-Drager syndrome, more recently known as multiple system atrophy - a degenerative neurological disorder similar to Parkinson’s Disease. Formerly the life of the party, his illness made him quiet. I could only imagine his former self.
I learned of one touching moment from Ralph’s last year of life. Greatly debilitated by his disease, one of his daughters was attending to him one day when he said to her, “Is there anything I can do to make this easier for you?” It was a sign of his attention to others, even when he was suffering greatly himself.
Ralph was one of eight children from a remarkable Kansas farm family. From humble beginnings in the small town of Clay Center, Kansas, Ralph and his seven brothers and sisters went on to success in all corners of this country as doctors, business people, homemakers, and engineers. Ralph became a chemical engineer and an expert on asphalt, eventually rising to a high position at the Mobil Oil Corporation in its New York City headquarters.
Ralph and his wife Neva eventually retired to Sun City West, where he had more time to pursue his passion for playing bridge. Ralph was highly involved in community work his entire life, serving for a time as a city council member in Missouri and devoting time to Kiwanis and other organizations. He was instrumental in establishing Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church in Sun City West. See also Ralph’s obituary from the Daily News-Sun.
We are saddened by Ralph’s passing. Another member of a remarkable generation is gone, and we seek to build on what Ralph and others have given us.