John Marlin Adams, Jr., of Nederland, Texas, passed peacefully, surrounded by his family, on June 25, 2022. John was born in Center, Texas to John Marlin Adams, Sr. and Johnnie Crocker Adams on December 15, 1946. John moved to Nederland, Texas in 1961 and attended Nederland High School, Class of 1965. He excelled academically and athletically while participating in a number of extracurricular activities, including the school play. John was named Mr. NHS his senior year. John’s move to Nederland also facilitated his introduction to Mary Katherine Williams at an American Legion Hall dance. Their life-long love began shortly thereafter. John and Mary K married on December 21, 1967 and were blessed with the birth of four children, Brandy, Johnson, Amber, and Ashley.

Always the people person, John pursued a career in boat sales, which relocated them to several parts of the Houston area. Eventually, John and Mary returned to Nederland to raise their young family. John loved spending weekends on the river, barbeques with friends, and a good game of pool. As it happens, time passed and his children branched out into their own lives. During this period, John could be found hunting and fishing with his kids, golfing with friends, and making a quick trip to the Lake Charles’ casinos.

One of John’s greatest joys was time spent with his nine grandchildren. Weekends spent on the river were replaced by weekends spent on the soccer field, on the baseball field, at volleyball tournaments and football games. He loved introducing his grandkids to his outdoor interests including hunting and fishing. So many memories and traditions were created on the family ranch. Hunting was fun, but the memories were made from what transpired in between. It was always more than just about hunting.

John spent his retirement years transporting cars from dealership to dealership, allowing him the opportunity to travel throughout the United States seeing sights he had never seen and getting to stumble upon various casinos. In his down time, John would relax in his garden and listen to old timey gospel music, enjoy a football or baseball on the TV, and catch up with his kids and grandkids at Sunday dinner.

Those left to cherish John’s memory include his loving wife of 54 years, Mary K Adams of Nederland; daughter, Brandy Roccaforte and her husband Charles, of Nederland; son, John “Johnson” Marlin Adams, III and his wife Brittany, of Nederland; daughter, Amber Adams and her husband, Joseph Kennon, of Waco; and daughter, Ashley Whitehead and her husband, Paul, of Nederland. John is also survived by nine grandchildren, Tanner Adams and wife Kayla, Emma Roccaforte, Adam Roccaforte, Evan Whitehead, Kaylee Adams, Ava Whitehead, Hunter Adams, Jack Kennon, and Rider Kennon. John is predeceased in death by his parents John Adams, Sr. and Johnnie Crocker Adams, and his three sisters, Barbara Sue Miller, Catherine Vaughn, and Jan Ackridge.

You can shed tears because they are gone, or you can smile because they lived. You can close your eyes and pray they will come back, or you can open your eyes and see all that they left for you. Your heart can be empty because you can’t see them, or you can be full of the love you shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday, or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday. You can remember only that they are gone, or you can cherish their memory and let it live on.

You can cry and close your mind and feel empty, or you can do what they would want. Smile, open your heart, love, and go on.

A gathering of family and friends will be held at Melancon’s Funeral Home in Nederland on Wednesday, June 29, 2022 from 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. with a Celebration of Life Service to begin at 5:00 p.m. There will also be a time of fellowship to share memories held at the Port Neches Knights of Columbus Hall located at 700 Central Drive on Port Neches.

In lieu of flowers, the family ask that donations be made in the name of John Marlin Adams, Jr. to the Scholarship Fund for a graduating senior at Nederland High School. Please make check payable to NHS Reunion Club and mail to: 714 Gulf Avenue, Port Neches, Texas.77651.