Ralph Lawrence Adams

1935 – 2023

Ralph Lawrence Adams has found peace after a courageous battle with Alzheimer’s on Thursday, October 19, 2023.

Ralph was born in Ogden, Utah, February 3, 1935, moments after his twin, Roger. For a time, they were the youngest in their family of Hazel Lavon Wood Adams (mother), Claude Leroy Adams (father) and siblings Laurine, Lavon and Claude. Later the family would welcome their abandoned cousin, Louise, as their youngest sibling, who completed their vivacious family circle. While Ralph and Roger were still in their infancy, the family settled to Las Vegas, opening a small and successful grocery store. The children often worked with their father in the business, and stories of their occasional mischief around the store still entertain the remaining family today.

Ralph served his country in Okinawa (1957-1959), where he would meet his future wife, a civilian on an Army base, Elna May Stuart. They married a few years later in 1962, in the midst of their studies at BYU, and remained the loves of each other’s lives, gradually building their family in Maryland with three sons of their own–John, Ken and Doug.

He is best described as a man who loved being in service to others in various capacities: his family, friends, his LDS faith, and even in his career at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. His cheerful, loving and hardworking demeanor made him many admiring friends and acquaintances throughout his life. Even in his final months he would find ways to be a comfort to his neighbors in memory care. He and Elna together discovered a love for American Sign Language (ASL) and after a time became fluent enough to find friends and be of service to the deaf communities. They loved serving and working with members of the LDS deaf branches, originally in Maryland and later in Utah, where they moved after retirement.

Ralph was preceded in death by all in his immediate family and is survived by his wife, Elna, and sons, John, Ken and Doug.