Retired pastor Richard Adams, 73, of Herculaneum, died Dec. 3 at St. Anthony’s Medical Center in St. Louis.
Funeral services are at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 6, at First Baptist Church, Festus/Crystal City, with Hal Burkhead officiating. Burial is in Rose Lawn Memorial Gardens, Crystal City.
Adams was the pastor of First BaptistӬChurch, Festus/Crystal City, from 1977 until his retirement in 2002. He also served as pastor of First Baptist Church, Portageville, 1969-77, and First Baptist Church, Caruthersville, 1961-66.
After retirement, he served churches as an interim pastor, including House Springs Baptist Church and First Baptist Church, Herculaneum/Pevely.
Adams served as second vice president of the Missouri Baptist Convention, as a member of the MBC Executive Board and as president of the Missouri Baptist Pastors Conference.
The longtime pastor was a member of the Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Board of Trustees and served as its chair. He served as an adviser for the Fellowship of Missouri Baptist Evangelists and as moderator of Jefferson Baptist Association.
A graduate of Ouachita Baptist University, Arkadelphia, Ark., he earned a doctor of ministry degree from Bethany Theological Seminary, Dothan, Ala.
He was born Sept. 14, 1934, in Warren, Ark., the son of Roy Curtis and Amy Lois (Lowry) Adams, both of whom are deceased. He married Alice “Ann” White, who survives.
Besides his wife, survivors include a son, Richard Michael and wife Judy Adams, Philadelphia, Miss.; three daughters, Debra Faye and husband Keith Govero, St. Genevieve, Lois Ann and husband Bryan Sullivan, Wayne, and Rebecca Ann and husband Hubert Young III, Colorado Springs, Colo.; two sisters, Roxene Dean, Little Rock, Ark., and Phyllis and husband Larry Burns, Warren, Ark.; 26 grandchildren; and two great-grandsons.
A sister, Patsy Temple, preceded him in death.
The family has requested that memorials be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, according to the Vinyard Funeral Home in Festus.
