Frances (Fran) S. Adams, 93, of Greenwich passed away peacefully on Friday, June 2, surrounded by her loving family.
Born Feb. 8, 1924 in Bronx, N.Y., she was the daughter of the late Frank Scollins and the late Betty See Scollins. She was raised in Greenwich from age five, and was a Greenwich resident for the rest of her life, more than 88 years.
Fran was the loving wife of Harold T. Mills from 1942 until his death in 1960. During World War II, she worked at the Electrolux factory in Old Greenwich, when it was producing parts for airplanes for the war effort. All through the years, Fran and Harold’s home was the center of activity for a wide circle of extended family and friends, as they hosted barbecues, holiday meals, Sunday breakfasts and other gatherings.
In the last few years of Harold’s life, he and Fran joined the Stanwich Congregational Church, which became a source of faith and strength to them both during Harold’s long illness and to Fran after his death.
In 1963, Fran and her daughter, Gail, started a new chapter, when Fran married the Rev. Dr. Nathan Adams, pastor of Stanwich Church. They moved into the parsonage next door to the old Stanwich Church, where Fran’s gift for hospitality continued and grew as not only family and friends, but church family, visiting clergy and missionaries from all over the world came to the little house on Taconic Road.
Fran was very active in the church. She served in the Sunday School, the Women’s Fellowship, as co-chair of the board running the church thrift shop, leading ministry groups, on leadership teams for Tres Dias weekends, counseling couples alongside her husband, and serving, after Nate’s death in 1988, on the Board of Deacons. She is lovingly remembered for the beautiful ways she encouraged and loved so well each person who came to know her.
She is survived by two daughters and two sons-in-law: Gail Mills Latosz and John M. Latosz, Jr. of Greenwich, and Beth Adams Bull and Robert Alan Bull of Stamford; two granddaughters and two grandsons-in-law, Amy E. LaRusso and Brian J. LaRusso of Ridgefield, and Sara A. Samuels and Michael D. Samuels of Weston; five great-grandchildren, Eric LaRusso, Mia LaRusso, Hailey Samuels, Audrey Samuels and Parker Samuels; and many great-nieces and great-nephews.
Visitation was held yesterday at Gallagher & Son Funeral Home. A celebration of her life will take place tomorrow, Saturday, June 10, at 11 a.m. at the old Stanwich Church (Greenwich Center for Hope & Renewal, 237 Taconic Rd., Greenwich), followed by a graveside committal service at Putnam Cemetery and a reception in Emmaus Hall at Stanwich Church (202 Taconic Road, Greenwich).
Parking for the funeral will only be at the new Stanwich Church (202 Taconic Rd.) with a shuttle transporting people to the old Stanwich Church down the road; please plan to arrive 30 minutes early. There will be no parking at 237 Taconic Rd., and no street parking out of respect for the neighbors.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Fran Adams Memorial Fund at Stanwich Church, which will go to help those pursuing pastoral ministry.
