Obituary of Joseph Holman Adams Sr.

Joseph Holman Adams, Sr., 91, passed away at his home Friday August 2, 2024. Funeral services will be held 10:00 A. M. Thursday, August 8, 2024, in the First United Methodist Church of Ozark, Alabama with Reverend Dr. Jason Thrower, Reverend Dr. Billy D. Gaither and Reverend Marty Hamilton officiating. Burial will be in Westview Memorial Cemetery, Holman Funeral Home of Ozark directing. The family will receive friends following the service in the Church Family Life Center. “Newspaper Joe” was born April 1, 1933, on Newton Avenue to John Quincy Adams and Elizabeth Holman Adams. He was a lifelong member of the First United Methodist Church of Ozark. Joe was a direct descendant of church founder Reverend Dempsey Dowling. Joe attended and graduated from Dale County High School when it was located where the Ozark Civic Center now stands. He attended and graduated from the University of Alabama with a BA degree in journalism. While at Alabama Joe was an active member of the Kappa Alpha Order. He also served as the Sports Editor of the Crimson White, the University of Alabama Newspaper. One of his fondest memories was of George Linn, a member of the famous Alabama basketball team known as the Rocket 8, hit the longest shot in program and NCAA history from 84 feet to close the half against North Carolina in Foster Auditorium. Following graduation Joe was commissioned a Second Lieutenant through the Reserve Officer Training Corp. He was stationed at Ft. Bliss, Texas, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina and Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. While at Ft. Campbell, he served as the Assistant Division Public Information Officer with the 101st Airborne Division. Joe returned home to Ozark in 1957 to assume the post of Editor for the Southern Star, a position he maintained until the sale of the paper in 2021. He took over ownership of the paper from his father in 1969 and added the title of Publisher. Joe was the longest sitting editor in Alabama with 64 years of service to Ozark and Dale County. Joe will always be remembered as a master story-teller. Joe has a remarkable memory for stories about the colorful characters of Ozark. One of his true love's was to be able to regale an audience with these stories. The size of the audience did not matter to Joe, it could be several hundred to just two or three people he did not care. Another of Joe’s passions was the Alabama National Guard. Joe served in the Headquarters Company of the 31st Armor as well as establishing and being the first Commander of the 131st Public Information Detachment from its inception in 1963. Joe was part of the contingent that was called to active duty in 1961 for the Berlin Crisis. He and Dot and Jay went to Ft. Irwin, California. They returned to Ozark with Phillip who was born on post at Ft. Irwin. Joe was called upon by the commanding General of Ft. Irwin to be the post public information officer while stationed there. During that year of service, he saw duty in all four military districts from the west coast to Ft. Drum in New York. Joe was always ready to help with Ft. Rucker and the Alabama National Guard. Joe held a number of positions of leadership throughout his professional life. One of his proudest was when he served as President of the Alabama Press Association is 2000. Joe was an active member of APA serving on the Board as well as helping to lobby for legislation to keep the press involved in Alabama. Joe also was honored to be selected as a member of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Selection Committee. Joe enjoyed being able to work with other members of the committee to honor deserving athletes every year. He served from the late 80’s until the early 2000’s. Another honor that Joe held close was being selected to the University of Alabama President’s Cabinet. He truly loved serving his alma mater through this position. He served from 2001 until 2015. Joe was a founding member of the Association of the United States Army chapter in the Wiregrass. He was recognized as the oldest active member. He was also a founding member of the Ozark Rotary Club in which he was active until just a few years ago. Joe was also a Member of The Board of Directors of the Army Aviation Museum on Ft. Rucker. Joe was not only an alumnus of the University of Alabama but was also an active and passionate fan of all of its sports teams. He was involved in the recruitment of Joe Kelley, a story he loved to tell. He brought Coach Paul Bear Bryant to Ozark for Kelley’s recruitment. He also brought Bryant to Ozark to celebrate former players Dexter Wood and Ellis Beck. Joe was very proud of Wilbur Jackson the first African American four-year scholarship football player at Bama. Joe was bursting with pride over Dale County athletes like Mickey Andrews, the first Dale County football player at Alabama as well as Billy Knowels at the University of Georgia. Joe married the former Dorothy L. (Dot) Phillips in 1958. They had three children Joseph (Jay) Holman Adams Jr., John Phillip Adams and Sara Elizabeth Adams. Joe was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years Dorothy “Dot” Phillips Adams and his oldest son, Joseph Holman Adams, Jr., his younger brothers Jesse and James (Jimmy) Adams. Joe is survived by his son John Phillip Adams, his daughter, Sara Elizabeth Adams Dawkins (Charlie); his four grandchildren, Brittany Merritt, Mahlon Dawkins, Adams Dawkins and Lofton Dawkins; four great grandchildren, Bryson McRae, Braylee Munn, Turner Merritt and Elizabeth James Merritt; and his younger brother, Johnny Adams (Gloria) of Thomasville, Alabama. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in his memory to Vivian B. Adams School, at vivianbadams.org; or 2047 Stuart Tarter Road, Ozark, Alabama 36360.