Russell L. Adams
Retired Civil Engineer
TEWKSBURY: Russell Leigh Adams, age 75, a resident of Tewksbury for over 40 years, passed away at Tufts Medical
Center on Wednesday, January 8, 2025. He was the beloved husband of the late Mary Louise (Best) Adams.
Russell was born on April 15, 1949 in New Castle, Pennsylvania. He was the second son of the late Stanley Paul Adams
and Velma L. (Shelar) Adams of New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. He was raised in New Wilmington and had a childhood
playing in streams, woods and fields with other kids from the neighborhood. He and his brother were involved in the
local 4-H as well as the Boy Scouts where he became an Eagle Scout. Always competitive, he gravitated to sports and
played football, basketball, baseball, and track at Wilmington Area High School from where he graduated in 1967. He also
played the baritone horn in the band and sang in the chorus.
Russell followed his older brother Bill to Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. He earned his BA in 1971 and
followed with a year at the Thayer School of Engineering, where he earned his Bachelor of Engineering in 1972. He was a
three year starter at defensive halfback in football. He played on Ivy League title winning teams in 1969 and 1970. The
1970 team was one of the best in Dartmouth and Ivy League history. They went a perfect 9-0, won the Lambert Trophy
signifying them as the best college football team in the East, and finished the season ranked #14 in both major polls. It
was the last time an Ivy League team was ranked in the final AP Poll. Russell was also a three year letter winner in
baseball. He played 1st base and center field for the 1970 team that won the Eastern Intercollegiate Baseball League
championship and advanced to the College World Series. Not surprisingly, his time at Dartmouth played a central role in
his life and he often regaled friends and family with tales from those years.
Following graduation, Russell pursued a career as a Civil Engineer, focusing on water and wastewater infrastructure. He
worked on the design or program construction management of major projects for both the Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) and the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), including
the Skokie (IL) North Side Sewage Treatment Plant and the Deer Island (MA) Wastewater Treatment Plant. In 2006, he
worked as a contractor with FEMA and commuted between Massachusetts and New Orleans to aid with the recovery
following Hurricane Katrina. Throughout his career he was active in multiple professional societies and particularly so in
the New England Water Environment Association (NEWEA), for which he served as President in 1995.
Russell met the love of his life, Mary Louise Best on a blind date to watch a younger cousin play Little League baseball in
1971 in Mercer, PA. They were married on July 14, 1973 in Emlenton, PA with the reception at the nearby Foxburg
Country Club. That year, they moved to the Chicago area and settled in Schaumburg, IL. They had their first son,
Matthew, in 1978, and second son, Jonathan, in 1983. During this time, Russell attended night school at the UChicago
Booth School of Business and earned an MBA in 1980.
In 1984, the family moved to Tewksbury, Massachusetts. Both Russell and Mary Lou became active members and proud
supporters of the Tewksbury Congregational Church. He loved singing in the choir and served as a Deacon as well as the
chair or member on the Finance, Building, and Stewardship committees. He was a devoted and nurturing father who
took an active interest in his sons' education and athletic endeavors, often coaching their town league teams.
An apartment adjacent to a golf course in Hoffman Estates, IL led to a lifelong passion for the sport. He played as often as
he could, especially in his later years. Russell always enjoyed conversation with anyone he met, a congeniality that grew
out of his Western Pennsylvania roots. Russell loved his family, maintained lifelong connections with friends, and had an
incredible ability to always look on the brighter side of life.
He is survived by two sons, Matthew R. Adams and his wife Sarah of Chicago, IL, and Jonathan R. Adams and his wife
Sharon Bielik of Stoneham, MA; three grandchildren, Owen, Eliana, and Daniel; one brother, William P. Adams, M.D. and
his wife Carol of Fountain Hills, AZ; and one sister-in-law, Nadine Karl of Franklin, PA. Russell was a beloved uncle to his
niece and two nephews and is much beloved by several cousins.
A wake for Russell will be held at the Farmer and Dee Funeral Home, 16 Lee Street in Tewksbury on Saturday, January 18 from 12-3 pm to be followed by a memorial service at 3:30 p.m. at Tewksbury Congregational Church, 10 East Street, Tewksbury, MA
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a memorial fund in Russell and Mary Lou’s name by either mailing a check to Tewksbury Congregational Church, Memorial Gifts, 10 East Street, Tewksbury, MA 01876 or by going online to http://tewksburycc.org/, clicking on “Donate to TCC” button, and completing the “Memorial Gifts” section.