Mr. Roy Lee Adams Sr. of 1410 Forest Park Drive Statesville, N.C., was born in Iredell County on January 20, 1941, and was the son of the late Demster Houston and Bessie Adams Lackey. He departed this life on Wednesday, August 26, 2020, at Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, following an extended illness.
He was a 1959 graduate of Morningside High School and at one time was employed by the City of Statesville in the Sanitation Department, Statesville Packing Company, and Lewis Houston and Houston Transportation. He stepped out and started his own service, Adam’s Taxi. He was a former member at St. John Baptist Church in Statesville. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his siblings, Charles Lackey, Keith Lackey and Jimmy Lackey and his best friend, Cortez Spann.
He leaves to cherish the memory of his life his spouse, Linda Marie Sherrill Adams of the home; his sons, Melvin Gray, Roy L. Adams Jr., and Arnold Jermaine Adams, all of Statesville, and Ronald Craig Adams of Chapel Hill; his daughters, Carol Yvonne Gray, Adrian (Tony) Christie, Cheryl Adams and Lisa Adams Nelson, all of Statesville; five brothers, Ricky Lackey, Eddie Lackey, Larry Lackey, Wesley (Alicia) Lackey and Gary Lackey, all of Statesville; three sisters, Brenda (Frank) Nesbitt, Paulette Rankin, and Barbara Jean Lackey, all of Statesville; grandchildren, Lashanne Howell, Algernon Christie, Christie (Marlon) Green, Toni Phillips, Terrence Adams Sr., Kedar Peeples, Jarette Gray, Chavis Adams, Michelle Adams, Lawrence Robinson, Jr., Malcolm Adams, Amanda Adams, Camille Kimbrough, Jahmir Adams and Jacob Adams; great grandchildren, Cameron Green, Syniah Green, Elijah Phillips, Kalab Phillips, Sabaron Phillips, Terrance Adams Jr., Jacion Jackson, Kalen Goeskea, Landon Wyatt, Jalen Kimbrough, Joe Kimbrough, Journee Kimbrough, Dior Kimbrough, Chavis Adams, Jr., Nakira Adams, Zaria Gray, Johmanet Gray and Essence Christie, all of Statesville; special friends, J.W. Houston, Milton Houston, Lonnie Houston, Sonny Summers, Charles Blackwell, Brandon Gregory, Darryl Whitaker, Freddie Morrison, Marvin “Bossy” Keaton, Lewis Taxi and Houston Transportation; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and dear friends.
Celebration of Life Services will be conducted Sunday, August 28, 2020, at 1:30 p.m. at Rutledge and Bigham Funeral Home in Statesville. Dr. Lonnie Gray will officiate and Dr. Dietrich A. M. Danner will eulogize. Burial will follow in the Belmont Cemetery in Statesville.
Rutledge and Bigham Funeral Home is serving the family.