Obituary of Arlene Adams

Adams, Arlene W. CHARLTON Arlene W. Adams died suddenly at home on May 10, 2018, just five weeks after the death of her husband, David D. Adams. Born Arlene Wanda Valent on May 3, 1929 in Gloversville, N.Y., she was the daughter of Anton Louis Valent and Sophia Koniewicz Valent, and sister of Richard L. Valent. She will be remembered as the glue that held her family together, for her love and commitment to her husband and family, for her positive and optimistic spirit, and for her willingness to help others. Arlene graduated from Gloversville High School in 1946, and graduated from St. Peter's Hospital School of Nursing in Albany receiving her RN license in 1949. Following her graduation, she worked as a maternity room nurse at St. Clare's Hospital in Schenectady. Arlene met her husband of nearly 68 years, David D. Adams of Scotia, N.Y., while on a high school picnic at Sherman's Amusement Park in Caroga Lake, N.Y. Arlene and David were married on June 17, 1950, at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Gloversville. They started married life in Pittsfield, Mass. and moved to Charlton, N.Y. in 1953. In the 1970s, Arlene served as Chairman of the Youth Against Cancer for Saratoga County. She was an active member of the Immaculate Conception Church in Glenville, and served the parish as an Eucharistic Minister distributing Communion to patients at Ellis Hospital in Schenectady. Arlene loved her large family and gave freely of her time, energy and talents. Known as a keen gardener, she fed the family year-round with vegetables and fruit from her garden, and established perennial gardens with plants from her childhood home. She was as comfortable with Julia Child as Betty Crocker, and never failed to try the next, "new and improved" product. She satisfied her husband's love of desserts with her home baked cookies, cakes, and pies, and taught her children the joys and pleasures of home grown and home cooked foods. Holidays and birthdays were more special because of the cinnamon rolls, drobna, and fancy decorated cakes she made, and she was always ready to bake cookies with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She often worked into the wee hours of the morning to make special dresses, coats, and even bridal gowns for her daughters. Arlene was a skilled knitter and presented each family member with handmade hats, sweaters and socks. She was known for her whimsical animal mittens and the Aran sweaters she made for graduation gifts. Somehow she found a way to chauffeur her children to swimming, ballet and music lessons, attend sports competitions, help with homework and school projects, as well as volunteer as a Girl Scout leader and member of the PTA. When her children were older, Arlene also worked as a teacher in the LPN and CNA programs for BOCES and as a substitute school nurse in the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Schools. Born of immigrant parents in the year of the Great Depression, Arlene valued education and hard work. She was content with "enough" and her frugal habits made it possible to share generously with others. She chose to forego a larger home and "things" in order to have new experiences with her family. She organized trips to New York City and Montreal for baseball, museums, and the World's Fairs. Each summer the family went to Cape Cod and learned to dig clams, eat lobster, and body surf in the ocean waves. A student of the violin as a child, Arlene and Dave took their family to concerts at the Albany Symphony, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and the Metropolitan Opera. In 1964, Arlene decided that the entire family would learn to ski. She organized weekend adventures for the whole family, packing lunches and lacing boots for the kids who learned to ski as soon as they could walk. Not deterred by bitter cold, wind or blizzards, the family explored most ski areas in New York and New England, and she later skied the French Alps, although she best loved to ski in the Rockies and was happiest spending winters at their second home in Breckenridge, Colorado. During their retirement, Arlene and Dave often visited family and friends, toured many national parks and historic sites in the U.S. from Alaska to Hawaii, as well as Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Finland and the United Kingdom. Arlene was happiest when surrounded by her family and friends. She mastered the art of cooking for a crowd and re-enacted the "loaves and fishes" miracle on more than one occasion. Qualifications for spouses included knowing how to ski, playing tennis, and dancing the polka; males wearing a size 10 shoe were preferred. The only daughter-in-law had a distinct advantage as the sons-in-law were known to compete for the honorific title of "# 1 Son-in-law". Summers turned the house in Charlton into "Camp Grandma" where she organized activities and outings for her grandchildren. Arlene lived her life as a pillar of strength and fortitude. She gave all of us the ability to face whatever challenges life gave us through the power of love. Known as wife ("Are"), Mom, Grandma, Grammy, Nana, and Bopcha, she was devoted to her husband, six children, fourteen grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren and remained the heart of the family. Arlene is survived by her six children, Barbara Adams Marin (Ulysses), Janet Hibbins Carmack (Steve), Mary Ellen Adams (Malcolm Cameron), Nancy Adams Contino (James), Patricia Adams, and Paul D. Adams (Alexcia); 14 grandchildren, David Blundell (Garria), Betsy Blundell, Jennifer Hibbins (Joseph Salzano), Sean Hibbins (Masumi Sekiguchi), Kristina Carmack (Tyler DeLuca), Alistair Black, Cameron Black, Louise Contino (Will Geary), Jacklyn Contino, Joshua P. Nixon, Rose S. Nixon, Simon Alexander-Adams, Oliver Alexander-Adams (Sarah Lovett) and Andrew T. Adams; and five great-grandchildren: Ella Blundell, Alice Blundell, Julia Salzano, Henry Salzano, and Charles Sekiguchi Hibbins. She also leaves behind a number of cousins, nieces and nephews. Visitation will be at the Glenville Funeral Home on June 1, from 5-7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Glenville, on June 2 at 11 a.m. followed by burial in the Pine Grove Cemetery in Charlton and a reception at the church. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Immaculate Conception Church piano fund or The Community Hospice of Saratoga County.