HOULTON, Maine — Gerald D. Adams, 65, of Houlton, Maine, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Thursday, August 10, 2017. He was born May 5, 1952 in Houlton, Maine, the son of the late William S. Adams Sr. and Lois Adams (Guy).
He graduated from Houlton High School in 1970 and then Hanson’s Barber School in Lewiston. Jerry, as most called him, opened his barber business in 1972 in Houlton and established himself as the premier barber in the region, cutting hair for more than 40 years. He treated clients as close friends and shared conversation and clippings with thousands of people and generations of families. Kids and adults alike still speak of fun haircuts he gave, stories shared and memories made.
Jerry served his country in the Army National Guard from 1971-1977. He served the Houlton area community for more than four decades. A member of the Houlton Town Council from 2002-08, he was the Town Council Chairman from 2004-05. He was a Master Mason of the Monument Lodge #96. Over the years, he was a member of the Elks Lodge #835, Houlton GC, Va Jo Wa GC, First Baptist Church and also attended the United Pentecostal Church and Houlton Wesleyan Church.
Jerry was an exceptional athlete, coach and referee. He loved all sports, but golf, baseball, softball and basketball were his favorites. As a basketball player, he played for Houlton High School, then went on to average over 40 points a game for a semi-pro traveling team in Woodstock, N.B. He was a 25-year veteran basketball official, calling games at both the collegiate and high school levels, holding the President, Interpreter and Assignor positions for IAABO 150, and gaining national recognition in Sports Illustrated.
As a basketball coach, Jerry amassed over 100 victories while coaching several area basketball teams, including Houlton, Hodgdon, Ashland, East Grand, Central Aroostook and NMVTI. In 1999, he led the Houlton boys team to an 18-0 record, and in 1996 he guided the Central Aroostook boys to the State Championship and a gold ball.
Jerry was a mainstay in the golf community in Aroostook County, Maine, and Canada. He claimed various titles across Maine and New Brunswick, including multiple Club Championships, President’s Cups and Member-Guest tournaments at Houlton GC. He won the County Open multiple times and was also the Chairman of the tournament for several years. He took home several Aroostook League Championships as both a player and coach at Houlton HS. In addition to his playing accomplishments, he also spent many years teaching the game to both adults and youth.
He was a legendary pool player, defeating some of the best throughout New England. He won multiple state and regional championships on the softball field with his “Jerry’s Clippers” teams and others from the Elks Lodge and community. He was also an accomplished bowler, and even a boxer.
Jerry was most passionate about his work with youth. Before his high school and collegiate coaching career, he also taught Junior Golf and coached T-Ball and Little League for over a decade. Coaching brought Jerry great joy and a sense of fulfillment. His past students and players have spoken about the guidance and direction they received helping them in not just sports, but life in general. Some would consider that his greatest legacy.
Jerry is survived by his sons, Troy Adams (Aleah) and Trevor Adams (Kim) of Charlotte, NC, and their mother Brenda Adams of Houlton, ME; grandchildren Carson and Hailee of Charlotte, NC; sibling Deborah A. Brewer (Leslie) of Port Charlotte, FL; and several aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by a sister, Nancy L. Toner of Bangor, ME, in 1991, brothers Larry L. Adams of Houlton, ME, in 2001, William S. Adams, Jr., of Goldsboro, NC, in 2015, and Terry A. Adams of St. Augustine, FL, in 2017.
A memorial service will be held Sunday, August 27, 2017 at Houlton Wesleyan Church at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Resting Arms Ministry of Island Falls.
