When word came that Bob Adams had died, I was a bit surprised. I expected to hear that his wife, Audrey, had died. She has been institutionalized with Alzheimer’s disease in Florida where the couple had been living. Bob faithfully visited her every day, even though in recent months she did not know who he was.

So, it was ironic that when the call came it was about Bob’s death. But then came the even more ironic news that Audrey died only hours later on the same day, Friday, March 16. He was 77 and suffered some heart problems in recent years.
Bob served as The Tablet’s first associate publisher from February, 1979 to March, 1989. Audrey wrote our cooking column, The Garden of Eatin’, for several years in the late 1980s.

When Bishop Francis J. Mugavero appointed Bob to the position, there was some consternation and concern around The Tablet’s office. It represented a whole new way of doing things. The associate publisher would serve in the place of the publisher, who is the bishop. He would coordinate the activities of the editorial and business departments to make sure that we were all moving in the same direction. He also would be the liaison between the paper and the public. At the time, no one knew what that meant. So, there was some anxiety around the office because it meant change.

Bob Adams

Perhaps no one else but Bob Adams could have carried out the job for the 10 years that he did. Above all else, Bob was a gentleman, a people’s person who enjoyed being with people. He came from a public relations background on Park Ave. and public information career at St. John’s University. This would serve him well in his new capacity which would require marketing and public relations skills as he took the diocesan newspaper into the public arena.

No longer could a Catholic newspaper depend on a Christian society which naturally looked to it for guidance. The religious paper would have to sell itself and Bob’s job was to do just that.

We were introduced to the word “schmooze” – the ability to relate to, cajole and win over friends. So, we scheduled luncheons with pastors, the primary purchasers of our paper. We conducted Tablet forums. We sold Tablet tapes. We ran Tablet tours. We conducted celebrations to observe our 75th anniversary in 1983.

It meant allocating funds for projects we weren’t used to doing. It meant belt-tightening in some areas and expansion in others. We were challenged to find new avenues of revenue. No doubt about it, there were internal tensions. But the job got done and we all remained friends.

I became the editor of The Tablet midway through Bob’s tenure. I remember him calling me into his office and telling me that later in the day he would announce my appointment. It was a time of great excitement. Bob made it easy for me. He never interfered in the editorial product and we were able to collaborate well for the good of the product.

Friend was a big part of who Bob Adams was. He was caring, both in and out of the office. He saw people through tough times and in turn was the recipient of kindness when he passed through his own trials.

He was an active member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs parish, Forest Hills, and was active with the St. John’s University alumni. He was particularly kind to seniors, bringing them to Mass and making sure their home needs were met.
When he retired and eventually moved to Florida, he continued to help others by tutoring students as part of a local college program. He kept himself busy doing random acts of kindness for others. He sent Christmas cards and birthday cards. I marveled at how he would always remember. When his Christmas card did not arrive this past year, I wondered if something was wrong. I figured he was busy caring for Audrey. Apparently he cared so well for her that she couldn’t stand remaining behind without him.

As The Tablet begins its 100th year next week, we fondly remember and are grateful to Bob Adams and Audrey for the great contributions they made to our history.

Bob is survived by his four children: Bernadette Adams-McCann of California; Brian of Shoreham, L.I.; Ann Davis of Hampton Bays; and Jeanne of Woodside.
The funeral and burial took place in Florida.

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