William White Adams

William “Bill” W. Adams passed away on April 15, 2026, surrounded by love. He asked that his passing be celebrated as the “fulfillment of a wonderful God-guided journey with my loving soul-mate at my side and in my arms”.

Born in Dubuque, Iowa in 1934, Bill was the son of Waldo and Therese Adams. After graduating from Iowa State College, he moved to Lancaster in 1956. He was married for over 69 years to Susan, the love of his life, with whom he created a large close-knit family including four children and their spouses (Nancy and Shahir, Sara and John-Christian, Mark and Hasni, Cathy and John), ten grandchildren (Rabiya, Tania, Rahim, Rachel, Jelita, Eliza, Laura, Jamila, Becca, Jack) and ten great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his sister, Nancy Barnes, and his brother, David Adams.

In 1956, Bill began his 39-year career at Armstrong World Industries. He held positions in the company ranging from advertising, marketing, and international operations to residential ceiling systems and building materials operations. In 1982, he became Executive Vice-President and a member of the Armstrong Board of Directors. He was named Chairman, President, and CEO in 1988, and retired in 1995.

He served as a director at Bell Atlantic and High Industries among others, and as an advisor or director for groups such as the National Association of Manufacturers, the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, the Pennsylvania Roundtable, and Pennsylvanians for Effective Government. In his five years as an Executive-in-Residence at the College of Business Administration at the University of Tennessee he relished interactions with MBA students and professors.

Giving his time and talent back to the community was a hallmark of Bill’s life. He served on the Boards of Directors of the United Way of Lancaster County, the Lancaster General Hospital, and WITF Public Broadcasting. He was the first Chairman of the Lancaster Alliance, a civic improvement organization of business leaders. With his wife, Susan, he inaugurated the De Tocqueville Society leadership giving program of the Lancaster United Way. He served as a strategic consultant to numerous local organizations including Domestic Violence Services, the Science Factory, and the Bright Side Opportunities Center. One of his final acts was co-chairing a successful $20 million capital campaign for a new Memory Care Center at Willow Valley Communities. He delighted in anonymous random acts of kindness.

He was a faithful member of the First Presbyterian Church for 68 years and loved his church community where he was ordained as an Elder and active in worship, teaching, his Friday morning men’s group, and outreach including four mission trips to Kenya. He served as Church School Superintendent and Vice-Moderator of the Donegal Presbytery.

Bill was a lifelong learner with an insatiable curiosity. His many interests included worldwide travel, political affairs, the Baltimore Orioles, and learning about artificial intelligence. From 2004 to 2011 he wrote 80 monthly guest columns for the Lancaster Sunday News. Taking up playwriting in his 70’s he wrote several complete plays, including “Warsaw” which was performed at Lancaster’s Ware Center in 2012. From 2022 to 2024 he was one of the hosts of the “Life Under the Willow Tree” podcast.

Bill loved music of the human voice, especially opera and choral music. He served for many years on the Senior Advisory Board of the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra. A peak experience was the chance to stand on the conductor’s podium, leading the orchestra in Grieg’s “Peer Gynt Suite.”

He had a deep-rooted passion for golf, sparked during his childhood growing up next to the 8th green of the Dubuque Country Club. He was a member of the Lancaster Country Club for nearly 60 years where he maintained a single handicap for much of his life. In his retirement, he undertook extensive training to qualify as a USGA-certified rules official in the Greater Philadelphia region. He played many of the great golf courses in the US and worldwide.

One of his favorite times of the year was spending two weeks with his family at Big Moose Lake in the Adirondacks. He enjoyed early morning rows, waterskiing until age 80, listening to the loons, and creating cherished traditions for four generations of family.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a memorial service at First Presbyterian Church, 140 E Orange St, Lancaster, PA 17602 on Sunday, May 24, 2026, at 4:00 PM. A visitation will be held at DeBord Snyder Funeral Home & Crematory, 141 E. Orange St., Lancaster, PA 17602 from 2:30 until the start of the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to Meals on Wheels of Lancaster or Hospice and Community Care of Lancaster. To leave an online condolence for the family, please visit: www.DeBordSnyder.com