Cynthia Burke Adams

Cynthia Burke Adams, 87, of Kilgore passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her family on January 16, 2021. Visitation will be Friday, January 22nd from 5:00 to 6:30 pm at Rader Funeral Home, 401 N. Martin St. Kilgore. Funeral services will be held at St Luke’s United Methodist Church, Kilgore on Saturday January 23rd at 10am, with Rev. Darwood Galaway and Rev. Ben Bagley officiating. Following the church service, a private family burial will take place at the Lakeview Memorial Gardens, 5000 W. Harrison Rd., Longview, TX.

Cynthia was born December 8, 1933 in Gadsden, Alabama, and lived a few miles away in Attalla. She is preceded in death by her father, Charles Wood Burke, Sr. and her mother, Louise Erwin Burke. Her father was President of the Merchants Bank in Attalla and served seven 4-year terms as Mayor of Attalla. Her mother was a school teacher and involved in numerous church and community activities.

In addition to her husband, Don Carthel Adams, Sr., survivors include her brother Charles Wood Burke, Jr., her son Don Carthel Adams, Jr., her daughters Lynne Akin and husband Randy, Beth Hitchcock and husband Tom, Ellen Bittick and husband Brian, her brother-in-law William C. (Billy) Adams, her sister-in-law Elizabeth (Betsy) Adams Ferguson, seven grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Cynthia attended grammar school and high school in Attalla, Alabama and graduated from Etowah High School where she played clarinet in the High School band. After graduation she attended the University of Alabama and was a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority and the Wesley Foundation. She was also one of the 1953 Carrola Beauties. After college, she applied for a job at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and was employed in the office of Naval Operations. After approximately three years of service, she received a Letter of Appreciation and an award presented by Vice Admiral R. P. Briscoe, who said, “Your performance was reviewed and approved as ‘outstanding’ by the Naval Operations Employee Appraisal Board. The Board approved a Superior Performance Award for you in order to give you additional recognition for the exceptional quality of your work.” At the time, this award was presented annually and to only three persons in the United States. During her time in Washington, D.C. she occasionally made a trip home to see her parents and brother. During one of her trips home Don was visiting his brother Billy who was working in her father’s bank. Billy quickly arranged for Don to meet Cynthia. It was love at first sight! There were several trips yet to be made, Don visiting Cynthia in Washington and Cynthia visiting Madison, Tennessee where Don lived. They married on March 16, 1957. On the date of their marriage, 18 months after they first met, they were able to determine that they had actually been with each other only on 16 different days. They made their home in Madison, Tennessee, only a few miles from Nashville where Don worked for Anderson Hickey Company, a manufacturer of steel office furniture. In 1971 the company moved to Henderson, TX and Don and Cynthia found their new home in Kilgore, TX. They and their children joined St. Luke’s United Methodist Church where Cynthia was a member of the United Methodist Women and served on several committees. She also served as the Financial Secretary for almost 20 years. She loved her church. She was also active in many civic organizations such as, Garden Club, Bridge Club, Coterie and had been a member of the Roy H. Laird Women’s Golf Association and the Beta Sigma Phi sorority.

The family would like to thank Choice Plus Home Care and Prime Care Hospice for their love and care during this time. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in memory of Cynthia may be made to the St. Luke’s United Methodist Church Organ Fund.