Priscilla "Missy" Powell Adams

Priscilla “Missy” Powell Adams, a devoted mother, beloved wife and cherished friend, peacefully passed away on Friday, April 17th, 2026 at the age of 69. She spent her final days surrounded by her adoring husband, Ross “Bubba” Adams, her adult children, Philip and Whitman, and her grandchildren, Noble, Lucy and Sasha.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland on September 28, 1956 to Margaret and Philip Powell, Missy spent the majority of her life in Baltimore surrounded by the things she cared most about: her family and friends. She attended the St. Paul’s School for Girls and then graduated from Sweet Briar College, both of which formed the foundation of Missy’s wide circle of lifelong friends. After college, she met Bubba on a spontaneous sailing trip at Gibson Island, which set the course for their beautiful and fulfilling life together.

Missy began her career as a teacher, later working at BarBri, and eventually helping to co-found Themis Bar Review. Traveling between universities, building close relationships with professors and supporting aspiring law students brought her great purpose and happiness. Beyond any title or accomplishment, Missy will be remembered for the way she made people feel. Those who know her best would describe Missy as warm, genuine, and kind. Those qualities gave Missy the rare ability to make others feel valued, seen and cared for. She had the uncanny ability to make a stranger feel like a lifelong friend within minutes of meeting her, and her many lifelong friends are a lasting testament to her incredible character. She was also notorious for her handwritten thank you notes, her “secret admirer” valentines day cards, and her freshly baked cookies. To know Missy was to love her.

She was a truly amazing mother to Philip and Whitman, the greatest joy and challenge of her life, respectively. She instilled a strong sense of work-life balance in her boys from a young age - always stressing the importance of a strong work ethic and academic achievement while also taking the time to play hooky from school to take the boys skiing. Playful, engaged, and always quick to laugh, she brought energy and humor into the boys’ lives every day. She will also always be remembered for her unique ability to create special moments within already memorable gatherings through the self-composed songs and poems that she so often delivered at weddings and other celebrations.

Missy was deeply involved in the communities and causes she cared about. She was an active member of the Church of the Good Shepherd and gave her time generously to a number of organizations, including the Walters Art Museum, where she served as Chair of the Women’s Committee, the Baltimore Community Foundation, and St. Jude’s.

Missy was in perpetual motion all of her life, enjoying sports, exercise and being outdoors. She loved tennis, with many Gibson Island Silver Cups to her name - she always joked that her real skill was in picking the best tennis partners (Joanne Bartlett & Wick Sollers). Other favorite activities included swimming, skiing with her boys on their annual “Mother/Son Ski Trips”, sailing, reading, art, and long walks with her dogs around Circle Road. One of the dearest places to her heart was Gibson Island, especially when it included special time with family and friends. Few places brought her more joy than the Passanos' screened porch overlooking the Magothy River.

After open-heart surgery in 2020, Missy was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia, a cruel and debilitating illness that gradually took away her ability to speak and, over time, much more. Recently, she and Bubba moved from Baltimore to Denver to be closer to their children and grandchildren, reflecting what mattered most to her throughout her life: family. One of the roles that Missy cherished most was that of being “Meemaw” to her grandbabies. They will always know how deeply she loved them.

Missy is survived by her husband, William Ross Adams, known to family and friends as Bubba; her sons, Philip (Alina) Adams and Whitman (Kelly) Adams; her grandchildren, Noble Adams, Lucy Adams, and Sasha Adams; her mother, Margaret Powell; and her siblings, Molly (Mac) Finney, Noby (Betsy) Powell, and Margaret (Ric) Bryant as well as many beloved nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her father, Philip Powell. Missy also remained especially close throughout her life to her uncle, Dr. Tom Powell of Baltimore and Washington, D.C., an orthopaedic surgeon at Johns Hopkins, who was a beloved presence in her life and a wonderful great-uncle to Whit and Phil.

A memorial service celebrating Missy’s life will be held at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Ruxton, Maryland, on May 16th at 11:00am. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to dementia research in support of better treatments and, one day, a cure.