1931 – 2015

FARMINGTON — Adria A. Adams Gray, 83, of Farmington, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Tuesday, Jan. 6, passing peacefully with family by her side at the Pierce House in Farmington, where she had been a resident for the past three years.

She was born on March 10, 1931, in Farmington, the youngest of three children to Dan Tucker Adams and Nan Tuttle Ramsdell, and lived her entire life in the area.

Her childhood home was the Adams Funeral Home on Court Street (now Adams-McFarlane Funeral & Cremation), where six generations of her family lived and served the community in this capacity. It was at her request that she once again return home.

In the fall of 1948, she began her studies at Farmington Teachers’ College earning a degree in home economics. She did her practicum in Dover-Foxcroft at Foxcroft Academy.

On July 26, 1952, she married her high school sweetheart, Lee Richard Gray of New Vineyard, and they began their 54 years together. They had four children, eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

For a short time she worked for Dr. Philip Chase. She then became a full-time homemaker raising four children. She was an artist. Her creative energies, along with skills learned in college, were valuable resources for her growing family. She painted in oils, acrylics and watercolor. She was known to have a beautiful hand in calligraphy. Her charcoal and pastel drawings are heirlooms of her talents and loves.

For almost 30 years, she and her husband owned and operated Gray Ford Sales on Route 4 in Farmington (formerly Horn Motors), selling the business in 1997. Adria kept the home front in the Perham Street neighborhood along with other Perham Street area mothers who have been her faithful friends for many years.

One of her passions was gardening. During the summer months she could be found in her large garden which supplied family and neighbors with fruits and vegetables. She designed gardens and beautiful floral arrangements. She was a former president and member of the Mt. Blue Area Garden Club, planting and maintaining the various town gardens.

She volunteered hours of service to the community she loved; as hostess of the Titcomb House and member of the Farmington Historical Society; as a first-grade teacher’s aide assisting tiny students; restoring worn volumes at the Farmington Public Library; and most of all as a member of Farmington Baptist Church.

In retirement years, she and Lee spent many summer weekends aboard their boat moored at Pier One in Boothbay Harbor.

Adria is survived by her four children, Shery (Gray) Jones and her husband, Doug, Kimberly (Gray) Edwards and her husband, Gary, Stephen Gray and his wife, Jill, and Jamie (Gray) Lucas and her husband, David, all of Farmington; grandchildren, Amy (Jones) Vaterlaus and husband, Brad, of Oregon, Melissa (Jones) Plourde and her husband, Thomas (TJ), of Jay, Bethany (Jones) Cormier and her husband, Thomas, of New Sharon, Tory Gray of Beverly, Mass., Alexandra Lucas, a student at the University of Maine at Farmington, Calan Lucas, a student at the University of Maine in Orono; Gabrielle Edwards of Farmington, and Elyse Lucas of Farmington; great-grandchildren, Adria, Ella, Anna (Plourde), Vivian, Thomas, Oliver (Cormier), Oscar and Zeke (Vaterlaus); her sister, Carolinn (Kay) Chase of Brunswick; her sisters-in-law, Beverly (Nikki) Adams of Farmington and Esther Gray of Augusta; and many nieces, nephews and friends.

Adria was predeceased by her parents; her husband in 2006; her brother, Thomas Adams; her half-brother, Francis Brann and his wife, Ann; brothers-in-law, Errol (Bud) Gray and Faulkner (Mont) Chase; great-nephew, William Chase; and niece, Deborah Adams.

The family would like to thank the Pierce House staff for the excellent care and comfort our mother received during her stay.

Condolences may be sent for the family at www.adamsmcfarlane.com.