Elizabeth Mills Adair, native of Fort Gaines, GA, died peacefully at 91-years-old in her sleep on September 1 in Morris View Healthcare Center in New Jersey. A graveside service will be held at 2:00 PM on Thursday, September 8, at New Park Cemetery in Fort Gaines with Rev. Randy Spicer officiating.
Born on June 2, 1931 in Fort Gaines, she was the daughter of Harry Mills and Laleah Foote Mills. As a classmate described her, she was an outgoing and friendly teenager, “a super basketball player - first team forward on the State Championship team in 1948.” She had an equal love of tennis. She married “Buddy” Adair after the war, and Buddy and Sister (she was known as “Sister” because one of her young siblings couldn’t pronounce Elizabeth) were beloved members of the community and their church, Fort Gaines United Methodist Church.
“Sister” was basically happy knowing she had brightened up someone’s life. She would arrange gatherings at the Lodge Restaurant on the lake, getting people together, for lunch and/or entertainment which often meant our very own and very talented “Miss Ellen” at the piano. She was central to a lot of this Ft. Gaines fun - all her life - even in high school and afterwards. After graduation, she would arrange and coordinate the yearly school reunions where the community kept in contact with each other. She enjoyed people and the satisfaction of helping them to enjoy life and laugh.
She was a devoted daughter and spent many years taking care of her mother who lived to be ninety-five. And as a loving sister, she also took care of her brother in his later years. Her father had died at 69.
She was also a devoted mother to her one son - a son who loved music. She realized this and supported it - nurtured and encouraged it - driving for hours for music lessons in a neighboring city, by visits to California, seeing movie theatres and studios, meeting Lawrence Welk, hearing the top musical talent in Las Vegas shows. It is in large part because of her that the son reached a level of skill and musicianship to be accepted to study privately with the head of the organ department of the Juilliard School of Music in New York City.
When “Buddy” died in 2010 she moved to New York City and subsequently to New Jersey to be with her son. Even though she enjoyed and appreciated the move and the opportunity to be a part of it all - to see Broadway shows, meet stars like Shirley Jones, Mickey Rooney, Mitzi Gaynor, among others - for her there was no place like home - no place like Fort Gaines. In declining health since 2020, she continued to enjoy the company of her son and pet dog Pip.
She was preceded in death by husband, Buddy Adair, and by brothers, Harry, Jr., Buddy Mills, Don Mills, and Collier Mills. She is survived by her son, Al Adair of West Orange, NJ.
LUNSFORD FUNERAL HOME
CUTHBERT, GA 229/732-2148
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