Obituary of Mary T Adams

Mary Teresa Adams (Lafferty) of Burlington passed away peacefully surrounded by her loved ones on November 13^th, 2023.  She was 95 years old.  Mary was born in Somerville to Irish immigrants, Patrick, and Delia Lafferty. She was one of five children born to the couple. 

She had a delightful childhood growing up in Somerville and attended Somerville High School.  She met her husband Steve Adams at a dance while he was home on leave from the Air Force. Steve had later asked if he could walk Mary home and the rest was history.  The couple married in 1951, lived in Mission Hill and then settled in Burlington in 1956.  Mary and Steve were hard-working parents while raising their son Gary.  Mary worked as a hostess at the Red Coach Grill in Saugus and the Battle Green Inn in Lexington. She loved people, sharing stories, and taking care of her many regulars at the restaurants.  Mary also worked part time at Heartland/CVS in Burlington.  She was in charge of the greeting card department and took pride in her organizational skills and engaging personality. Upon retiring, her presence was greatly missed.

Mary and Steve also enjoyed traveling.  They ventured to Spain and Hawaii and took numerous trips to Florida.  Often, they were accompanied by their friends.  When her son Gary was young, the family would take trips to Lake George in New York.  She was completely devoted to her family.  After her husband became ill, they moved into the Tower Hill Apartments in Burlington. 

She had many friendships at Birchcrest Arms where she enjoyed playing BINGO, socializing with lady friends, and being the driver of her friend group. She was energetic, dynamic, enthusiastic, and spirited.  She had a kind heart, would do anything for anyone, and loved her family with her entire being. When she moved out of Tower Hill in 2021, she was the longest standing resident. 

Mary helped care for her granddaughter April from the time she was born through middle school. She would continue to be April’s biggest fan as she pursued numerous athletic and academic ventures. 

Mary was the beloved wife of the late Steve Adams. She was the loving mother of Gary and his wife Patricia (Knowlton) of Burlington.  She was the extremely proud grandmother of April and her fiancé Luke Moylan of Dracut.  She was the youngest sister of the late Anna Carmichael (Lafferty), Katherine Howard (Lafferty), Edward Lafferty, and William Lafferty. She was the sister-in-law to the late Ted and Virginia Adams of Norwood.  She was a caring aunt to many nieces and nephews who meant so much to her.  Mary was also considered a big part of Patricia’s family.

Visiting hours will be held at the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., Burlington on Sunday, Nov. 19 from 2-4 p.m. Funeral from the Sullivan Funeral Home on Monday, Nov. 20 at 9 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Margaret Church in St. Veronica Parish, www.stveronicama.org, 111 Winn St., Burlington at 10 a.m. Services will conclude with a burial at Pine Haven Cemetery in Burlington. 

Memorials in Mary’s name may be made to People Helping People, P.O. Box 343, Burlington, MA 01803. 

For online guestbook, video tribute, & obituary see www.sullivanfuneralhome.net