Mrs. Mattie May Adams, age 92, passed away, suddenly, on Saturday, August 6, 2016 at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Ma. Born on December 26, 1923 to the late William Harris and Gertrude (Brown) Harris, Mattie was the eldest daughter in a loving family of 17 children raised in Boston’s South End. Mrs. Adams was a caring and active leader in the United Methodist Church of All Nations where she developed several successful ministries including “Saturdays and Sundays Bread” which served countless homeless people and children. After graduating from the New England School of Art & Design, Mattie opened Adams Interiors in the Back Bay. As the first licensed African American Interior Designer in New England, she enjoyed great success and many celebrity and corporate clients, including The White House. Mrs. Adams was a former member of the New England Minority Purchasing Council Board of Directors and President Jimmy Carter’s Small Business Advisory Council.
Mattie Adams lived an exciting, meaningful, and blessed life, in service to others, and she will be missed. She was recently preceded in death by her eldest son, Chesterfield William Adams, and is survived by her son, Vusama S. Kariba, daughter-in law LeVerne Stephens-Adams, granddaughters Melody Adams and Malaika (Marvin) Adams-Minor, sisters Thelma Harris, Mildred Johnson, Pauline Durant, Bertha Harris and Marion Harris of Boston, MA; and host of grandchildren, nieces, nephews and very special friends.
Services will be held on Friday, August 26, 2016 at Shawmut Community Church of God, 600 Shawmut Ave., Boston, MA 02118. Viewing from 10:00-11:00 A.M., Funeral Service at 11:00 A.M. Interment services are private.