Obituary for Adelaide “Addie” Adams Rowland
Adelaide “Addie” Adams Rowland (nee Duarte) died May 10th at Roselani Place in Kahului of Alzheimer’s Disease. She was 95. Born Jan. 28, 1927, she was the daughter of the late Sen. John Gomes Duarte and Adelaide “Auntie Ida” Duarte of Wailuku and ‘Iao Valley.
A graduate of St. Anthony Schools (Class of 1946), she received a degree in secretarial science from the Armstrong School of Business in Berkeley, Calif., where she met and married the late Rep. Ray F. Adams of Water Valley, Miss. The two owned a variety of businesses and founded the Hotel 'Iao Needle, until parted by his untimely death in 1960. Their only child, Wanda A. Adams, was born on Maui in 1951.
In 1961, she married H. G. “Buzz” Rowland and they operated the hotel until its closure. She joined the Royal Lahaina Hotel and then Amfac (later Amfac JMB), where she worked for 33 years and executive secretary and office manager.
Later in life, she was active in community affairs, continued to attend St. Anthony Church, Wailuku, and lived at the Wailuku Townhouse until removing to Roselani when her health began to fail.
Rowland, who brought her six step-children and -grandchildren, died in 1991.
For the last 20 years of her life, her companion was retiree and philanthropist Robert Douglas; after his death in 2017, she passed into the care of Douglas’ friend, Barry Wurst of Makawa’o, and her daughter, Wanda A. Adams of Honolulu.
Charming, attractive and capable, “Addie” enjoyed playing the ‘ukulele and singing with her guests, mentored young career women in her Amfac offices, served as representative of the Amfac Credit Union and helped many immigrant workers obtain loans for homes and their children’s education, loved animals (she was a Maui Humane Society volunteer), the theater (she hosted cast parties for the ‘Iao Theatre company) and cared for the disadvantaged (she served on the board of Maui Kokua Services and aided Douglas with numerous charitable efforts).
Rowland is survived by daughter Wanda (Carl E. “Sonny” Koonce) of Kalihi, step-children Greg and Pat Rowland of O'ahu, and Lizbeth Anderson (Paul) of North Carolina, and numerous Duarte, Adams and Rowland relations.
Services are June 14 (see details below).
A graduate of St. Anthony Schools (Class of 1946), she received a degree in secretarial science from the Armstrong School of Business in Berkeley, Calif., where she met and married the late Rep. Ray F. Adams of Water Valley, Miss. The two owned a variety of businesses and founded the Hotel 'Iao Needle, until parted by his untimely death in 1960. Their only child, Wanda A. Adams, was born on Maui in 1951.
In 1961, she married H. G. “Buzz” Rowland and they operated the hotel until its closure. She joined the Royal Lahaina Hotel and then Amfac (later Amfac JMB), where she worked for 33 years and executive secretary and office manager.
Later in life, she was active in community affairs, continued to attend St. Anthony Church, Wailuku, and lived at the Wailuku Townhouse until removing to Roselani when her health began to fail.
Rowland, who brought her six step-children and -grandchildren, died in 1991.
For the last 20 years of her life, her companion was retiree and philanthropist Robert Douglas; after his death in 2017, she passed into the care of Douglas’ friend, Barry Wurst of Makawa’o, and her daughter, Wanda A. Adams of Honolulu.
Charming, attractive and capable, “Addie” enjoyed playing the ‘ukulele and singing with her guests, mentored young career women in her Amfac offices, served as representative of the Amfac Credit Union and helped many immigrant workers obtain loans for homes and their children’s education, loved animals (she was a Maui Humane Society volunteer), the theater (she hosted cast parties for the ‘Iao Theatre company) and cared for the disadvantaged (she served on the board of Maui Kokua Services and aided Douglas with numerous charitable efforts).
Rowland is survived by daughter Wanda (Carl E. “Sonny” Koonce) of Kalihi, step-children Greg and Pat Rowland of O'ahu, and Lizbeth Anderson (Paul) of North Carolina, and numerous Duarte, Adams and Rowland relations.
Services are June 14 (see details below).