Mary "Bambi" Adams

Mary "Bambi" Prince Adams, beloved wife, mother and daughter, passed away suddenly on Monday, November 27, 2017. She was born November 25, 1937 to William Bradford and Margaret Prince in Chattanooga, TN.  Her father served in the Army for many years and Bambi was raised as an "army brat".  She spent some of her early school years in Albuquerque living with her mother and her maternal grandparents.  Later in the aftermath of World War II, she lived in Germany with her mother and father.  She had many interesting stories about what life was like in Germany at that time.  She spent some of her high school years in Ecuador.  She very much enjoyed the culture in Ecuador, especially the music, dancing and her local friends.  Her classes were conducted only in Spanish and she was proud of the fact that she had enough Spanish to do well in Chemistry class.  She next spent some years in New England and earned a Bachelor's Degree from Emerson College.  She was interested in theatre and worked for a time in a theatrical company acting in plays.  In the late 1960s she moved to Santa Fe where she has family ties.  She worked for a time in her mother's interior decorating business on Canyon Road.  She participated in Melodramas and other events during Fiestas.  In the late 70's she began to volunteer for the Santa Fe Public Library; later she became a paid employee there.  She fell in love with libraries and with learning about library work.  She earned a Master's Degree in Library Science from the University of Hawaii in 1985.  She worked at the Public Library until retirement in 2012.  She loved working as a reference librarian and was very reluctant to retire.  She volunteered for the library during last years of her life.

Among her many passions, Bambi was an enthusiastic and skillful trout fisher and fished for many summers along the Brazos River in Northern New Mexico.  She enjoyed travelling and vacationed many times in Hawaii.  She was very deliberate and particular in her wardrobe.  She closely followed professional sports especially football and baseball and was a big Red Sox fan.  She was a great reader.  She walked for exercise.  Frequently as she walked, people on the street would recognize her from her years on the reference desk and would greet her.  She was a cheerful person and she always wanted to make a positive connection with people.

She is survived by her husband, Mark; and her daughter and son-in-law, Juli and Todd Gilliam; her daughter, Kimberly Landry; her daughter, Elizabeth Adams; and her stepmother, Elaine Prince. Her daughter, Stacy Ryan preceded her in death in 2001. She has six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.  She will be missed tremendously by her family.

A Memorial Reception will be held for Bambi at the Santa Fe Public Library, Main Branch, in the Community Room, Friday, December 15, 2017, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.