Afesa Marie Adams, mother, daughter, sister, niece, grandmother, great grandmother, and dear friend made her Home Going journey on May 6, 2018. Afesa was born to Eddie and Annie Adams on February 20, 1936 in Greenwood, Mississippi. At the age of 6 her parents and family moved to Salt Lake City. Afesa grew-up and married Augustus Bell and they had five children. Marie, at the time, worked at Clearfield Job Corps and completed her bachelor's degree at Weber State College/University. She went on to complete her Masters and Ph.D. at the University of Utah. In 1975, Afesa, three children, and soon to be husband Allan Nathaniel moved to Gainesville, Florida where Afesa was a professor in the Department of Psychology. Afesa and Allan returned to Utah where Afesa was the Chair of the Department of Family and Consumer Studies and then became the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, the first position at the University that held responsibility for diversity on campus. In 1987, Afesa returned to Jacksonville, Florida to serve as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Florida. In February 2011, Dr. Adams received the University of Utah Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni Award. Afesa retired in 2013 after serving eight years as Senior Research Associate at Florida Institute of Education. Dr. Adams received Professor Emeritus at both the University of Utah and University of North Florida. Afesa's greatest love was her family. She was closely and lovingly connected to all of her family members and gave valuable counsel to all, wanted or not. She was also very connected to her friends and colleagues. Afesa was preceded in death by her father and mother, twin sons, two husbands, one daughter Suzanne (Rickey), sister, aunts, uncles, and friends. She is survived by two sons Steven (Beverly), David (Teri), brothers Henry and Charles, 4 grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren, nephews, nieces and extended family.
Funeral services will be held Friday, May 11, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. at the Calvary Baptist Church, 1090 S. State Street, SLC. Interment at Larkin Sunset Gardens Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, charitable contributions can be made to
Eddie and Annie Adams Educational Foundation
C/O Charles Adams
187 Maritime Terrace
Hercules, CA 94547
