Mary Lucille Mangum Adams

Mary Lucille Mangum Adams passed away in the early hours of Tuesday, April 8, surrounded by her children, who knew it was time for her to go to her Maker and be reunited with the love of her life, her husband Vince, and her sons Darrel and Jeff.

Mary was born to Winifred Bethanie Mayo Mangum and George Badger Mangum in Rocky Mount, N C on December 30, 1926, the fifth of six children. She met Vincent "Vink" Adams in the eighth grade and they began dating in the tenth. When he went off to join the Navy in WWII, she finished high school and worked as a dental assistant. When he disembarked from his ship, he called her on the phone and whistled their song, Stardust. After the Navy, armed with the GI Bill, he enrolled in The Citadel. As a Veteran Student, he could be married, so they wed in December of his freshman year. She worked as a secretary at The Citadel to help support the family, as they had two children by the time he graduated. As he built a business, Charleston Blue Print, she was always pitching in, doing whatever was needed to help keep the company going. As a new bride, she knew very little about cooking, but she developed very good instincts and became an excellent cook over the years. She was never happier than when surrounded by family and friends at her dinner table. In 1955, they moved to Bay View Acres in Mount Pleasant, and had two more sons by 1959.

As a young mother, Mary was involved in PTA, Sunday School and Bible School at Hibben United Methodist Church, Mount Pleasant Cotillion, and she helped with Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts. She was a wonderful mother, not only to her own children, but to the friends of her children and grandchildren. She was fun-loving and always a good sport.

Tragedy struck in 1961, when their 5 year-old-son Jeff died unexpectedly from complications resulting from an earlier surgery. One of the results of that event was that Vink decided to take up sailing, so that he could spend more leisure time with his family. Mary learned to swim, enrolling at the YWCA, and learned to swim, but she never liked getting her hair wet!

A fifth child, daughter, Beth had come along in 1962 and in 1965 the family moved to Hobcaw Point. Tragedy struck again in 1970 when the eldest son Darrel was killed in an automobile accident. Two years later, they sailed away with Scott and Beth to explore the Bahamas, staying for almost a year. Mary home-schooled the children. They ended up buying a piece of property on Green Turtle Cay, where they remodeled a building into a home, and made life-long friends, where they were known as "Wince and Mary Hadams" in the local vernacular. She also had the nickname Bahama Mama among the Charleston sailing community.
In 2005, Mary suffered a fall which resulted in two brain surgeries and a very grim prognosis. While she was unconscious in the ICU, Vink would kiss and stroke her hand, all the while whistling "Stardust." She recovered and they enjoyed four more years before Alzheimer's required moving him to a memory care unit. He passed away in December of 2012.

Mary has lived the past few years in assisted living at The Palms, lovingly cared for by Diane Johnson. Diane made a huge difference in Mary's life, helping to keep her engaged and happy. They were truly the best of friends!

Mary was a friend to everyone. She loved people and always had a smile for them. Strangers commented to her family and companions on her friendliness and joy. Though tragedy had left its scars, she'd found joy again and often said, "God never said life would be easy. I've had a great life."

Surviving are daughter, MaryAnn Adams Dunham and husband, Samuel; son, Scott Dennis Adams and wife, Kelly; daughter, Beth Adams Colley and husband, Larry; grandchildren: Sam Dunham III, Bo Bowers and wife, Betty, Coby Griffin and wife, Chrissy, Meghan Griffin Sternberg and husband, Eric, Courtney Adams, Scott Adams, Jr., Adam Colley and wife, Kelly, Lucy Renneker, Jamie Renneker; and four great-grandsons. She was preceded in death by her husband Vincent Darrel Adams and sons, Vincent Darrel Adams, Jr., and Jeffrey Craig Adams.

The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at The Palms and the staff of Hospice of Charleston for taking such excellent care of Mary and her family.

The relatives and friends of Mary Adams are invited to attend her Funeral Service on Thursday, April 10, 2014 in St. Andrew's Church, 440 Whilden Street, Mount Pleasant at 3:00 pm. Burial will follow in St. Paul's Lutheran Cemetery, McCants Drive. The family will receive friends on Wednesday, April 9, 2014 in J. HENRY STUHR, INC., MOUNT PLEASANT CHAPEL from 5:00 until 7:00 pm.

Memorials may be made to St Andrew's Church Land Trust, 440 Whilden Street, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464 or to Hospice of Charleston, 676 Wando Park Blvd, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464