Donald Adams, Jr.

Donald Claude Adams, Jr. It is with great sadness that the family of Donald Claude Adams, Jr. announces his passing after a hard fought battle with cancer on Thursday, October 17, 2024, at the age of 68. Don, as he was best known by his family and friends was born in Miami, Florida on October 19, 1955. He was the eldest of four brothers. Son of Donald Claude Adams, Sr. And Delorese Adams. His family moved when he was a young child to Panama City, Florida. He graduated from Bay High School in 1973. He was a standout athlete in Football and is in the school’s Hall of Fame for his records and achievements. After High school, he started his career in banking at Bay Bank and worked from the ground up. He honed his craft by attending the Florida School of Banking in Gainesville. He gained a respected reputation leading multiple banking institutions to success for over 50 years. His expertise was in lending, specializing in the USDA (Business & Industry Program), facilitating loans varying in size from two to twenty million dollars. He held many positions in the industry but was most recently the Executive Vice President, Managing Director of USDA Lending at Cogent Bank. Mr. Adams was an active member and former deacon of Forest Grove Baptist Church in Alachua, having lived there for many years. He used his financial expertise to help guide the church through a successful addition to the church, which was able to pay its loan off ten years earlier than planned. He married the love of his life Cathy Adams in 1984. They had just celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in July of this year. He had three children that he cherished dearly - Andrea, Donny and Kristen. He was also blessed with four grandchildren: Stella, Brixton, Brylee and Brady. He enjoyed RV’ng across the country, throughout his life. Don was also an avid car lover, from classic muscle cars to newer sports cars. He enjoyed the solitude of the mountains in North Carolina where many family memories were made. When asked, he would say the greatest joy in life was spending time with his family. He was preceded in death by his father, Mr. Donald Claude Adams, Sr. and by his father-in-law, Ronald N. Davis. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Catherine Davis Adams; his daughters, Andrea Adams and Kristen (Jonathan) Bowling; one son, Donald Claude (Melissa) Adams, III; his mother, Delorese Adams; three brothers, David (Cheryl) Adams, Doug (Susan) Adams, and Darryl (Cyndi) Adams; and most importantly, his four grandchildren, Stella Adams, and Brixton, Brylee and Brady Bowling. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, at 11:00 A. M., at the Forest Grove Baptist Church, 22575 NW 94th Avenue, Alachua, with Rev. Gary DeBerry, officiating. Interment will follow at Forest Grove Cemetery. The family will receive friends for one hour prior to the service, beginning at 10:00 A. M. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Forest Grove Baptist Church (“building renovations” designated in memo line), 22575 NW 94th Avenue, Alachua, FL 32615, in the name of Don Adams.