Eleanor “Punky” Prescott Adams, 87, passed away on May 25 with loving family at her side. Punky was born on June 11, 1928 in Passaic, N.J. to Eleanor Brewer Prescott and James Lewis Prescott. She had one older brother, James Lewis Prescott Jr., whom she loved dearly.
Punky grew up among her Prescott relatives, giving her a large family of cousins. Betty Prescott Humphries and Carrie Hirchert Thomas were like sisters to her. She summered in South Bristol with her family and cousins for her entire childhood.
In 1950 Punky graduated from Western College for Women in Ohio, with a Theater Arts degree. After college, back in New Jersey, she joined the Montclair Ski Club and while on a trip to Mad River Glen, Vt. met Edward Dean Adams. As the story goes, Punky had fallen into a snowbank and as Dean pulled her out, he dropped her back in. Punky laughed with her vim and vigor and six months later, Aug. 28, 1954, they were married. It was Punky’s lively, fun, and spirited personality that defined her life. She was “game” for anything. Punky loved sports and played tennis and then golf in her later years.
Punky and Dean moved to Maine in 1961. They sold their house in Connecticut, put their three children and two dogs into their station wagon, and settled into an old farmhouse in South Bristol. Punky quickly became an involved parent in the community. She taught Sunday school for many years at the Union Congregational Church, instructed cooking classes and organized tree planting and a road clean-up crew every spring for the 4-H Club.
Punky felt her most important and satisfying volunteer work was her 15-year involvement with the Children’s Drama Club at the South Bristol Elementary School which she conceived and started in 1972 when Dick Hawkins became the new principal. Producing two plays per school year, she loved working with children, building their confidence on stage, teaching teamwork, and involving the community to make costumes. To help fund the Drama Club she put on food sales in the summertime in Christmas Cove.
Punky and Dean’s retirement years were spent traveling in Maine, golfing at Wawenock Golf Club, enjoying their grandchildren, and living quietly at their shore house on the North Branch of John’s Bay. After Dean passed away in 2007, Punky traveled in the winters to Georgia and Florida to be with friends and keep up her golf game.
Punky is predeceased by her parents; husband, Edward Dean Adams; and brother, James Lewis Prescott Jr.
She will be greatly missed by daughters, Tracy Adams and husband James King, Nancy Adams and spouse Cory Hanna, and Alison “BB” Adams and partner Zip Kellogg; and grandchildren, Maggie Prescott Wilson, Kate Wilson Cavanaugh and husband Sean, Benjamin Turner Meader, Emily Adams Meader, and Forrest Glendon Meader.
A celebration of life is planned for the afternoon of Sun., Aug. 28 at the Union Church of South Bristol followed by a reception at the Adams home overlooking beautiful John’s Bay.
In lieu of flowers, please send memorial donations to South Bristol Elementary School, 2024 State Rt. 129, South Bristol, ME 04568, please write memo “For Arts and Drama.”
