Goodbye, Nolan Adams

Nolan Duane Adams left this world on September 19, 2018 - according to various family members - “lonely, confused, afraid, angry at the dreams he could not realize and both liked … and hated.  He was also handsome, charming, organized and tidy … always the best dressed in the room, including spit-shined shoes.  He was also ornery with a big mouth, and organized and tidy with an immaculately clean garage where he parked his immaculately clean cars.” 

His younger sister, as well as his caregiver noted, “he had beautiful handwriting, English, grammar and spelling; he loved sports, boating, cooking, flying,  his parrot ‘Chocolate,’ decorating for the holidays, Halloween (always starting out trick-or-treat at the home of Nephi and Betty), Pepsi, old movies and his kids … all seven of them.” 

Quincy remarked, “my dad kept everything he had ever touched, including the oversized bar-be-que he used to create his delicious Adam’s Ribs, taking us along to every county fair and community event in Washington and Iron County.”  

In his youth, Nolan served an honorable mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Australia and in the last few years of his life he was worthy, once again, to take the Sacrament, but he was by then Brother Duke Adams.  In a brief letter to his family – to be read after his death – he told them how much he loved them … how proud he was of them … and what a joy they had been to him in his lifetime.  He called Quincy – a recently released Bishop – “a step-up-to-the-plate”kind of son and noted, because of his stroke, “I guess I’m not in charge!” 

There was no mention, but it was obvious many of the kids struggle in their relationship with their father, including Quincy who noted, "my co-workers had a front row seat to our arguments."  But, "Bishop" Adams quoted D&C 64:10 reminding his siblings, "I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive but of you it is required to forgive all men."

Nolan's ashes will be spread at Lake Powell, his “happy place” later in the year.

Side note:  The audience was mostly made up of the extended Adams’ family and many of our Morningside neighbors and friends.  In a quick conversation with Heidi before the opening prayer, she remembers Morningside as “heaven on earth for a kid!”  So true … it was the best neighborhood in the world and a wonderful part of our life.