Samuel H. Adams II

Dr. Samuel Herbert Adams II of Houston, TX and Cocoa Beach, FL passed away after a brief illness, which honestly surprised us because over the past decade he had beaten pancreatic cancer, bladder cancer, A-Fib, gall bladder and spleen removal, two hip replacements, a broken collar bone, and multiple bouts of pneumonia. His skillful, adventurous, and caregiving life came to a peaceful end in the early morning hours of March 18, 2024 while in hospice. Dr. Adams was preceded in death by the sudden passing of the love of his life, his wife, Joan Barnard Parsons Adams, on January 9, 2020.

Born August 1, 1935 in Pittsburgh, PA to Dr. Samuel H Adams, one of those old fashioned Scots-Irish country doctors who treated everyone, even if they could only pay for services with a live chicken, and Signe Sjoman Adams, a young bride of Swedish descent. Young Sammy initially was an uninspired student who attended Shady Side Academy then Franklin and Marshall College. However, once he fell in love with Joan and married in 1959 as well as the disclosure that he had gotten the last spot in dental school at the University of Pittsburgh because Mike Ditka opted out to play professional football, Sam got serious. He graduated Cum Laude and was awarded membership in Omicron Kappa Upsilon Society. He and his bride moved to Rochester, NY where they both got busy starting their new life together. He worked nights as a stock-boy at a local business to fund both his periodontal studies at The Eastman Dental Center at the University of Rochester Medical School in Rochester, NY (Master of Science) and his burgeoning family. Joan was a thrifty homemaker squeezing dimes out of pennies and an amazing mom to their young brood, which then included Lynne Barnard Adams (1961) and Samuel Herbert Adams III (1963). Upon graduation, Sam received the Balint Orban Prize for clinical research (1963). Dr. Adams began his periodontal research at The University of Texas at Houston Dental School, where he also served as an adjunct professor. In 1965 he and Joan welcomed another son, Frederick Parsons Adams (1965) and Dr. Adams received a special fellowship from the National Institute of Health to perform post-doctoral periodontal research at the University of Lund in Sweden. Shortly after moving to Malmo, sadly both his father back in Pittsburgh and his lead professor in Lund passed away. Assigned to Europe for the school year, Sam and Joan unexpectedly had some extra time on their hands. They took advantage of their time in Scandinavia to travel and Sam found a new love, snow skiing.

Sam and Joan returned to the States via steam ship and lived in Great Lakes, IL for two years where Lt Cdr. Sam Adams served his country in the Navy. Then they settled down in Piney Point Village in west Houston. Dr. Adams initially taught full time at the UT Dental School. Then he started his dental practice with Dr. Jack Harris at 3735 Drexel Drive, in the shadows of Twelve Oaks Hospital (nka River Oaks Hospital) and later at 550 Post Oak Blvd. Dr. Adams practiced for a total of 46 years and successfully treated thousands of patients. Dr. Adams was innovative in his dental practice, including being among the first to provide gloved dental services to HIV positive patients in the 1980s, helping clarify uncertainties around HIV transmission. He also was early to recognize negative effects of bisphosphonates toward osteonecrosis of the jaw in the late 1990s / early 2000s. Dr. Sam donated dental services to mission organizations, on trips to China, and to displaced Katrina victims. His professional memberships include the American Dental Society, the Texas Dental Association, the Houston District Dental Society (nka Greater Houston Dental Society) for which he served as president from 1983-1984; the American Academy of Periodontology, Southwest Society of Periodontists, Texas Society of Periodontists, Fellow of the International College of Dentists and Fellow of the American College of Dentists.

Grandpa / Uncle Sam passed down his love of snow skiing to his kids, grandkids, nephews, nieces, and grand-nieces & -nephews. At the family lake house, he was often known simply as Doc. He provided all kinds of weekend voluntary services including countless emergency stitches and an occasional ear piercing. He taught us how to water ski and how to sail. Dad also ran a marathon, completed various road bike events including the Hotter-Than-Hell Hundred in Ft. Worth and the MS-150, and scuba-dived in many tropical locations. In between work and hobbies, Dad was most commonly found napping in any nearby chair or sofa he could find (and we have the pictures to prove it). Mom and Dad also loved traveling the world together visiting China, Australia, Fiji, Tahiti, Italy, Chile, and European river cruises. Joan’s sister, Anne and husband, Dick LeChard occasionally joined them. Joan and Sam retired to Cocoa Beach in 2016. They especially enjoyed the winter months there with Anne and Dick and other snowbirds.

Dad embodied dedication to family and friends, kindness to others in exceptional ways, innumerable “suggestions” from lifelong learning, a measured intolerance for underperformance, and an abiding love for each of his kids, nephews, grandchildren, many, many dogs and one cat. But even more, Dad loved our Mom, his wife, Joan (aka BooBoo).

We miss you both, Mom and Dad, and get a little sad each morning because we don’t have you to call anymore. You are a wonderful example of a life well lived. We are so grateful to believe Mom and Dad are reunited in that most splendid of all places. Well done. Rest in peace.

Memorial services will be held in honor of both Dr. Samuel Herbert Adams II and Joan Barnard Parsons Adams at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church on Monday, July 29 at 11:30 am in the chapel with a reception to follow in the Fellowship Hall. MDPC is located at 11612 Memorial Drive, Houston, TX 77024

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to:

The Greater Houston Dental Society Foundation, UTSD Student Scholarships

( https://www.ghdsfoundation.org/programs/utsd-student-scholarships ) or

Rescuing Animals in Need, c/o Longwood Veterinary of Cocoa Beach, FL (call 407-834-2526).