Jean Adams was born in Yeomans, Georgia to Joseph and Julia Wills Adams.  At the age of three, they moved to Cuthbert, Georgia where she grew up.  Her father was Foreman for the railroad and they were given an old plantation house to live in.  She was the youngest of eight children and had many fond memories of their life with lots of stories to tell about the house, her siblings, school, friends and games they would play.

Her mother passed away when Jean was ten so her father and siblings supported and encouraged her through the years.  She was an excellent student and had many accomplishments in her chosen field of medical technology.  Jean graduated from Terrell County High School, Dawson, Georgia in 1949.  She graduated from Georgia Southwestern Junior College, Americus, Georgia in 1951.  Her education continued with internships at Emory University and the Veterans Hospital, Atlanta, Georgia, in brain wave testing.  Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, was the next step to complete her Bachelor of Science which included an internship at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Jean was trained in all aspects of Lab work but she decided to make bacteriology and parasitology her focus which continued throughout her career.  While working at Charity Hospital, the interns were advised to wear their lab coats when they went to Canal Street and the French Quarter because everyone respected those who worked at Charity Hospital.  It was a different experience there as Jean really enjoyed sight-seeing and the food in New Orleans.  Jean graduated from Florida State University in August 1956, with a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology.  She participated in continuing education courses throughout her career and was Board Certified through the American Society of Clinical Pathologists.

Jean's professional career gave her many opportunities starting with Georgia Baptist Hospital, Atlanta, Georgia, (1956-58); Memorial Mission Hospital, Ashville, NC (1958-1963); South Fulton Hospital, East Point, GA (1963-1964); and General Cowell Hospital - University of California, Berkeley, CA (1964-1965).

In 1966, Jean found her way back to her home state of Georgia and began her final career move to Center for Disease Control as a Public Health Technologist in the Parasitology Training Unit in Atlanta.  She was an expert in identifying parasites sent to the CDC from all over the world.  She and her unit traveled to various locations including Hawaii and Guatemala to train lab techs.  Co-workers described Jean as knowledgeable, kind, funny, willing to help anyone, thoughtful, wonderful and considerate.

Jean retired from the Center for Disease Control in 1984.  She built a log cabin in the mountains of North Carolina near her sister and brother-in-law.  Planting flowers to attract butterflies and bees was a special activity as well as walking the mountains with her dog.  Shopping for antiques and handmade items to decorate her cabin as well as volunteering at the Franklin Library filled her days.  In 2003 they moved back to Georgia.  In 2016 they moved to Florida to be near family.  Jean (91) passed away peacefully at Walton House Assisted Living in Tarpon Springs, Florida with her niece Kathy Taylor at her side.  Jean was preceded in death by her five brothers and two sisters.  She has many nieces and nephews who will miss her loving ways and attention.

A Graveside Celebration was held on September 7, 2024 at the Macedonia Baptist Church Cemetery, Preston, Georgia in the ancestral lot.