Allentown, PA. Robert Lester Adams, 80, of Allentown, died Sunday, January 19, 2014 at Lehigh Valley Hospital Center in Allentown, PA. Born in Tower City, PA, he was the son of Lester Adams and Agnes (Daniel) Adams. He attended Shippensburg University where he was All-American tackle on the football team, and earned a BS in Education. He was drafted by the Baltimore Colts in 1954 and played briefly. He was a mathematics teacher in East Greenville, PA before moving to Morris Hills High School in Rockaway, NJ. Upon earning his Master’s Degree in Education Administration at Seton Hall University, he advanced to vice-principal at Morris Hills High School. In 1968 he became Principal at Roosevelt/Eisenhower Middle School in Roxbury Twp (Succasunna), NJ until his retirement in 1988. He was a Paul Harris Fellow and a past President of the Roxbury Rotary Club. In retirement, he volunteered at Miller Memorial Blood Center in Allentown, PA. He was an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Dover, NJ for many years, St. John’s Lutheran Church in Nazareth, PA, and at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church of the Nativity in Allentown.
He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Lauretta “Rita” (Dikon) Adams; brother, Paul and his wife Joan of Harrisburg; sister, Darlene Kreiser and husband Ernie of Mechanicsburg; daughter, Lynne Ambrose and husband David of Bath; son, Jeffrey and his wife Lori of Succasunna, NJ; three grandchildren: Ryan, Courtney, and Kyle, and many beloved nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a brother Edward, and a sister Betty Jane Troxell. Memorial services will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church in Dover, NJ at 3 pm on Saturday, January 25, 2014 and at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church of the Nativity in Allentown at 2 pm on February 1, 2014. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church, 123 E. Blackwell Street, Dover, NJ 07801 or to St. Michael’s Lutheran Church of the Nativity, 4004 Tilghman St, Allentown, PA 18104. Arrangements are by the Davis & Hepplewhite Funeral Home, 96 Main Street, Succasunna 973-584-7264 (davishepplewhitefh.com)