Helen Agnes Adair's Obituary
Helen Agnes Beard Adair passed away on December 3, 2024, of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. She was 89.
Survivors include son Andrew and Teri Adair of Houston, daughter Ellen and Jeff Schulz of Houston, son Brent and Shelley Adair of Austin, son Craig Adair and Tina Berner of Austin, sister-in-law Kitty Adair of Brenham, and eleven grandchildren: Rebekah Adair, Matthew Adair, Gabrielle Adair, Eric Schulz, Emerson Schulz, Randall Schulz, Jakob Schulz, Mabry Adair, Piper Adair, Eliana Adair, and Thomas Adair.
Agnes was born on October 6, 1935, in Dyersburg, Tennessee, the second of two children, to Helen Tullos Beard and Harry Beard, Sr. She was preceded in death by her husband, William (Bill) Adair, and her brother, Harry Beard, Jr.
Agnes spent her early years with her family in various cities and towns in Kentucky and Tennessee as well as Chicago, Illinois. In 1945 her family returned to Dyersburg where her parents were raised. Agnes loved small town life in Dyersburg. She thrived in the tight-knit community of family, neighbors, school, and church (First United Methodist). She was a cheerleader and played on the girls’ basketball team; she took trips to nearby Reelfoot Lake with her girlfriends. She also studied piano and was active in her church, sowing the seeds of two life-long passions: music education and her faith community.
She spent her first two years of college at the University of Tennessee-Martin and graduated from UT-Knoxville in 1957 with a B.A. in Secondary Education. Agnes moved to Dallas in 1958 to pursue a Master’s Degree in Sacred Music at Southern Methodist University, which she received in 1962.
It was in Dallas where she met the love of her life, Bill Adair. Bill and Agnes married in 1961 and moved to Houston at the end of that year. They were active members of First Presbyterian Church, where Agnes directed children’s choirs. Agnes put her teaching career on hold to devote herself to her family and the couple’s four young children. In 1980, Bill and Agnes joined Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church (MDPC) and quickly became immersed in their new church community. Agnes returned to education in 1984, teaching music at Edgewood Elementary and Hunters Creek Elementary. She retired from teaching in 1998 to care for Bill, who passed away in 2001.
For the next 23 years, she devoted herself to her adult children, grandchildren, and service through the MDPC community. There she grew in her faith with her friends in the Faith Explorations class, served as an Elder, sang in the choir, served on pastoral search committees, taught Sunday School, participated in local ministries, supported women entering ministry, and more. Agnes loved reading, musicals, and travel. She took each grandchild in his/her 8th grade year to Washington D.C. to learn about history and government. She visited her children in Central Asia and South America. She dug into astronomy, making trips to nearby Brazos Bend State Park. She hiked with her family in the mountains of Colorado and Washington well into her 80s. She was a loving, laughing, and caring force of nature.
The family is deeply grateful to all those who loved and cared for Agnes so faithfully through her Alzheimer’s journey (her MDPC community, friends, caregivers, hospice staff, and more). A service to celebrate her life will occur on Friday, January 3, 1:00 p.m. at MDPC (11612 Memorial Drive, Houston, Texas, 77024) with a reception following the service. Memorials may be sent to MDPC.
Agnes was a faithful servant of God, dedicated wife and mother, devoted friend, passionate music educator, and lover of God’s beautiful creation. She will be sorely missed.
Thank you for showing us how to live. We love you, Mom.
What’s your fondest memory of Helen?
What’s a lesson you learned from Helen?
Share a story where Helen's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Helen you’ll never forget.
How did Helen make you smile?