Obituary: PARKINSON, ADELE

Adele Williams Whitney Worsley Parkinson1915~2014" I thank God for letting me meet you. I ask our Heavenly Father that you may have many blessings, and more years of living. Our wishes for you from the Vasquez Family" How else to say it all? All the way from Dominica, via New York, then to become Adele's adored helper, Leticia Vasquez's Mother's Day card said what her family, her friends far and wide ( but mainly the Salt Lake Valley), and her other helpers throughout the years carried in their hearts and minds. Adele was born September 19, 1915, to Florence Campbell Williams and Gilbert Winder Williams. Whether an operatic aria loved by "Flossie", or because of a well known operatic lead, or some other source, she was either named for that lead or after the piece "Adele, Adele, Adele . . ." With her father Bert's special appellation *( "Bonnie") she was forever the apple of her parents' eye and without question their favorite daughter. As a card-carrying member of the "L Street Gang" (olden days style "gang") Adele spent her early years with her brothers and all the Hardy and Williams cousins who lived within shouting distance to call out the next game or activity. A large part of her exuberance and zest for life came from full participation in "kick-the can," "run-sheepie-run" touch football, and whatever next suited the group mob's liking. Always a star at Ensign, Bryant Junior, or East High, she went on to keep things exciting for the Pi Phis at the U. Her only known tears through these formative years were when Bert put his foot down and said "no" to her being on the women's football team at the U. (Probably relented on undue pressure from her mother and other family members.) She returned from WW II with Wood Worsley to commence her career as a fisherwoman without equal. As demanded by Bert, fly-fishing only was the order of the day, and she mastered both the Weber River and Yellow Lake on the Freed property. Her fame at the latter site needs no idle, bragging words. Suffice it to say that for her family at least and most of Holiday Park, the outlet from Yellow Lake was and will be forever known as "Adele's Lake." A sterling beauty, her rather extravagant Aunt Rae and Uncle Clayt with claimed connections down in Hollywood tried to talk her into a career of movie stardom. Knowing her base roots lay in the place she was born and raised, she turned the thought down flat. Adele was known as a consummate entertainer and her garden home was the place for many a wonderful evening dinner, even to her backyard hosting her daughter's wedding to Ivan Cendese. How she loved that garden that served as the backdrop to all of her famous home parties for her friends around the Valley. At 98.25 she outlived most of her friends but oh what a blast she had with them for those many, many years. Probably not getting the full slate in her life, she was a devoted member of the Sewing Club, the Study Club, the famed Garden Club (Cottonwood), the Alta Club, the Salt Lake Country Club, the University Club (New York), the Town Club, the Desert Island 49'ers Club and the Cottonwood Club near Holladay. What has become and now are the Red Butte Gardens at the U were certainly helped along by her mainstay volunteer work over the years. No doubt had she chosen to remain in San Francisco following WWII she would have been a well known and respected member of the Bay Area society. But she chose along with Wood Worsley to return to her beloved Wasatch Front and society here has been the benefactor. Let it be known that parties and society were not her entire life. She served the real estate industry with distinction for many years, especially when she became the bread-winner following an untimely stroke that disabled her husband Wood. But more importantly she treated those who came to help her in her later years with love and respect. Thus, she has engaged many places from afar: Brasil (thanks Reigany, Veronica, Marlene); the Dominican Republic (thanks Leticia and Jovanny); Mexico (thanks Antonio). Just as with her SLC friends enjoying her inimitable hospitality (thanks, of course, Lenore), she was thrilled to sit and talk with these folks and learn about their native lands. With apologies to the author, she was no doubt "A (Wo)man to Match Her Mountains")Adele is survived by her special brother Clayton R. Williams (Elaine); two children, one son, one daughter: Doug Worsley (Teresa) and Jan Worsley Cendese (Ivan); ten grandchildren; and eight great-grand children. She was preceded in death by her parents; each of her three husbands, Samuel Whitney, Wood Worsley, and C. Jay Parkinson; and brothers Richard C. Williams and Douglas C. Williams.Her goodbye, family to greet friends, will begin at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, January 18, 2014 at her favorite place, the Salt Lake Town Club (1081 East South Temple) A brief Memorial Service will follow at approximately 12:00 noon, buffet to follow.Please, please, please, no flowers (she will be handling all that where she is going). Instead, a donation to your favorite charity. Several of hers were (a) all medical resources at the U Health Care System, per the wonderful development people there, but especially the Center for Global Surgery; (b) KUED/KUER; (c) The Nature Conservancy; (d) maybe just about anything with ties to her beloved State of Utah. Charlie Rose will no doubt continue to broadcast even though he has lost his most devoted fan down here. She will still be listening with fascination to Doug Fabrizio, and even though probably not related, she will be relaxing to the evening jazz from Steve Williams.