Mr. Adams is survived by his wife Genevieve Adams, to whom he was married on October 28, 1966; a son, William C. (Chip) Adams, III, and wife, Jill; a daughter, Courtney Anne Vanover, and husband, Ryan; his mother, Lorraine Adams, all of Murray; a brother, Jerry Adams and wife, Beverly, of Mooresville, North Carolina; a sister Judy Henry, and husband Bobby, of Sikeston, Missouri; sister-in-law Cindy Ragsdale and husband, Larry, of Murray; five grandchildren, William C. Adams, IV, Callie Anne Adams, Katherine Emery Adams, Lily Anne Vanover and Avery Rylyn Vanover; six nieces and one nephew.
Mr. Adams was an Eagle Scout from Troop 45 in Murray, Kentucky and a 1965 graduate of Murray High School. He received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 1970 from the University of Kentucky, was a Distinguished Military Graduate from the U.S. Army ROTC program and was commissioned as an officer. He received his Masters Degree from Murray State University in 1975 and served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Industrial and Engineering Technology at Murray State University. He was a Professional Civil Engineer and served in the active U.S. Army Reserves until 1978, attaining the rank of Captain. Since 1983, he was the owner and President of Bill Adams Construction Company, Inc., in Murray, Kentucky and a partner in the Cheri Theatres in Murray, Kentucky and Martin, Tennessee.
Mr. Adams was a dedicated member of the First Baptist Church in Murray, Kentucky, serving as a Sunday School Teacher for 45 years, a Deacon and a member of various church service committees. His community activities included being a Member of the Murray Independent School District Board of Education, Murray City Council, Murray Planning Commission, the Four Rivers Council of the Boy Scouts of America and served on the Board of Directors of the former Bank of Murray. He was a Member of the Murray State University Board of Regents, serving as Vice-Chair for two years, and was an Assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 45 in Murray, Kentucky. In 2014, he received the Construction Management Founders Society Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of Kentucky’s Department of Civil Engineering.
Funeral services will be Saturday, October 31, 2015 at 12 p.m. at First Baptist Church, Murray, Kentucky, with Greg Earwood, Terry Ellis and Keith Inman officiating. A private burial will follow at the Murray City Cemetery. Visitation will be at First Baptist Church on Friday, October 30, 2015 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., and from 10:00 a.m. Saturday until the funeral hour.
Pallbearers will be William C. Adams, IV, Joe Browning, David Garrison, John D. Hopkins, Red Howe, Ottis Jones, Barry McDonald, David Parker and Robbie Rudolph. Honorary Pallbearers will be the employees of Bill Adams Construction Company, Members of Mr. Adams’ Sunday School Class at First Baptist Church, Mark Gunn of Knoxville, Tennessee, and Don Roark of Murray, Kentucky.
In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made to any of the following: First Baptist Church World Missions Offering; the William C. and Genevieve Adams Scholarship at Murray State University; WATCH, Inc., 702 Main Street, Murray, Kentucky 42071; and Baptist Global Response, 402 BNA Drive, Suite 411, Nashville, Tennessee 37217.
Condolences available at www.imesfh.com